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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

BUREAU OF FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC COMMERCE 

PHILIP B. KENNEDY, Director 


SPECIAL AGENTS SERIES—No. 183 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF ARGENTINA 
URUGUAY, PARAGUAY, AND 
BRAZIL 


By 

HAROLD E. EVERLEY 

Trad* Commissioner 



PRICE. 20 CENTS 

Sold by the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office 
Washington, D. C. 


WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 
1919 













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Special Agents Series No. 18 


FIG. 1.—DINING-ROOM FURNITURE MADE BY AN ENGLISH FIRM IN ARGENTINA. 
This room indicates the French influence on the architecture of Argentine houses of the better class. 

















/ 


p. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

BUREAU OF FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC COMMERCE' 

PHILIP B. KENNEDY, Director 


1 

f 


SPECIAL AGENTS SERIES—No. 183 


/Z2>9 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF ARGENTINA 
[ URUGUAY, PARAGUAY, AND 

BRAZIL 


HAROLD E. EVERLEY 

I 

Trade Commissioner 







PRICE, 20 CENTS 

Sold by the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office 
Washington, D. C. 


WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 
1919 
















TD~ Of J». 

U£C 13 1919 





CONTENTS. 







* 


Page. 


Letter of submittal. 9 

Part 1.—ARGENTINA. 

I. Introduction. 11 

Area and geographical features. 11 

Climate and seasons. 11 

Population and racial temperament. 12 

Important centers of trade. 12 

Natural resources and wealth. 13 

Pastoral industry. 13 

Forests. 13 

Foreign trade. 13 

Statistics of imports and exports. 13 

Outlook for trade. 14 

II. Statistics of furniture imports. 15 

III. Special factors influencing trade. 20 

Esthetic tastes of the people. 20 

Types of architecture. 20 

The prevailing type. 20 

Interior arrangement. 21 

Other types—Apartment houses. 21 

Facilities for travel. 22 

Design, quality, and price of American furniture. 23 

Competition of the domestic industry. 23 

Effect of war on domestic furniture manufacture. 24 

Lack of facilities for quantity production. 24 

Outlook for the domestic industry. 25 

Competition of resident foreign firms. 26 

Waring & Gillow. 26 

Maple & Co. 26 

Thompson Muebles (Ltd.). 27 

Indifference of American manufacturers to Argentine market. 27 

New tendencies favorable to American trade. 28 

Effect of high building costs on architecture. 28 

Growing prestige of English furniture. 29 

Influence of American motion pictures. 29 

IV. Market for particular kinds of furniture. 31 

House furniture. 31 

Dining-room suites. 31 

Bedroom furniture. 32 

Living-room, library, hall, and parlor furniture. 33 

Kitchen furniture—Refrigerators. 33 

Porch, lawn, and garden furniture. 34 

Reed, rattan, and willow furniture. 34 

Novelties and antiques. 35 

Metal beds. 35 

Other metal furniture. 37 

Chairs. 37 


3 

















































4 CONTENTS. 

IV. Market for particular kinds of furniture—Continued. Page- 

Office furniture. 39 

Desks. 39 

Office chairs. 40 

Filing devices and card indexes. 41 

Sectional bookcases. 42 

Metal office furniture. 43 

Public-building furniture. 44 

Municipal and Government buildings. 44 

Public schools. 44 

Theaters. 45 

Hotels, clubs, restaurants, and stores. 46 

Billiard halls. 47 

Barber shops. 47 

Hospitals. 47 

V. Market for materials for the manufacture of furniture. 49 

Materials for making iron furniture. 49 

Other materials. 49 

VI. Trade methods and suggestions. 50 

Marketing the domestic product. 50 

Furniture auctions. 50 

Furniture exhibits. 50 

Entering the market. 51 

Need of care in choosing representatives. 51 

Advisability of establishing branch houses. 52 

Expenses connected with entering the market. 52 

Developing the office-furniture trade. 54 

Need of more permanent styles. 54 

Standardization of colors.. 54 

Packing to save freight. 55 

Developing the house-furniture trade. 56 

VII. Summary. 57 

Part 2.—URUGUAY. 

I. Introduction. 59 

Area, physical features, and population. 59 

Industries and resources. 59 

Domestic trade and manufactures. 59 

Agricultural and mineral wealth. 60 

Transportation facilities. 60 

Foreign trade. 60 

Present economic aspects of the country. 61 

II. Statistics of furniture imports. 62 

III. Factors influencing trade in house furniture. 67 

Style of architecture. 67 

Competition of European firms. 67 

Competition of domestic manufacturers. 68 

IV. Market for particular kinds of furniture. 70 

House furniture. 70 

Furniture in suites. 70 

Metal beds. 70 

Chairs. 71 

Refrigerators.1. 71 




















































CONTENTS. 


5 


IV. Market for particular kinda of furniture—Continued. 

Office furniture... 

Desks. 

Filing systems. 

Sectional bookcases. 

Office chairs. 

Metal furniture and office partitions. 

Steel safes. 

Public-building furniture. 

Government and municipal buildings. 

Public schools. 

Barber shops. 

Hospitals. 

Billiard halls. 

Market for furniture hardware and trimmings 

V. Methods of marketing furniture. 

Selling the domestic product. 

Selling imported furniture. 

House and office furniture. 

School furniture. 

Quotations and terms of payment. 

Packing, marking, and billing. 

VI. Summary. 


Page. 

71 

72 

72 

73 
73 

73 

74 
74 
74 

74 

75 
75 

75 

76 

77 

77 

78 

78 

79 

79 

80 
81 


Part 3.— PARAGUAY. 


I. Introduction. 82 

Location and climate. 82 

Transportation facilities. 82 

Principal cities. 82 

Resources and industries. 83 

Foreign trade. 83 

II. Statistics of furniture imports. 85 

III. Market for particular kinds of furniture. 87 

House furniture. 87 

Office furniture. 87 

Public-building furniture. 87 

IV. Factors influencing trade. 89 

Condition of domestic furniture industry.. 89 

Effect of depreciated currency. 89 

Entrance of foreign capital. 89 

V. Trade methods and suggestions. 90 


Part 4—BRAZIL. 


I. Introduction_ 91 

Area and population- 91 

Climate___ 91 

Principal commercial divisions- 91 

Means of communication- 92 

Chief commercial centers_ • 93 

Foreign trade_ 94 

II. Statistics of furniture imports_ 96 

Imports classified by countries of origin- 96 

Imports classified by ports of entry- 99 


















































6 


CONTENTS. 


Page. 

III. Special factors influencing trade_ 102 

High protective tariff-- 102 

Character of the population_ 102 

Climatic conditions__ 103 

Wood-eating insects_ 103 

Competition of the native industry_ 104 

Kinds and quantity of furniture produced_ 104 

Methods of making and marketing the domestic product_ 105 

Factors favoring the domestic industry- 106 

Quality of output_ 106 

IV. Market for particular kinds of furniture_ 108 

House furniture_ 108 

Chairs__ 108 

Metal beds_ 109 

Other metal furniture_ 110 

Reed, rattan, and willow furniture_ 110 

Kitchen furniture_ 110 

Refrigerators_ 111 

Office furniture_ 111 

Desks, cabinets, and other equipment of wood_ 111 

Metal office equipment_ 113 

Public-building furniture_ 114 

Government and municipal buildings_ 114 

Schools_ 114 

Hotels, restaurants, clubs, and theaters_ 114 

Barber shops_ 115 

Hospital and dental equipment_ 115 

Billiard tables_ 115 

Market for materials for the manufacture of furniture_ 115 

V. Methods of marketing furniture_ 117 

VI. Market for furniture-making machinery_ 118 

VII. Brazil as a field for the manufacture of furniture_ 119 

VIII. Summary_ 122 

Appendix.—CUSTOMS DUTIES AND EXTRA CHARGES. 

Argentina,. 124 

Uruguay... 125 

Paraguay. 127 

Brazil.. 127 

Exhibits and list of dealers. 130 







































ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Facing page. 

Fig. 1. Dining-room furniture made by an English firm in. Argentina. 1 

2. Dining-room furniture made by an Argentine firm. 24 

3. Bedroom furniture made in Buenos Aires by domestic manufacturers.. 25 

4. Parlor suite made at Buenos Aires factory under foreign management. 32 

5. Interior fittings and furniture made in Argentina. 33 

6. Office furniture made and installed by an English firm in Argentina.. 40 

7. Office furniture made by local shops in Buenos Aires. 41 

8. Permanent exhibit of native-made furniture in Buenos Aires. 48 

9. Examples of hospital furniture made in Argentina. 49 

10. Uruguayan dining-room furniture imported from England. 56 

11. English-style dining-room furniture used in Uruguay. 57 

12. Imported French type of bedroom furniture used in Uruguay. 68 

13. Parlor suite made by native labor in Uruguay. 69 

14. Parlor furniture made in Uruguay by an English house. 80 

15. Type of furniture used in municipal and Government offices in Uruguay. 81 

16. Fine parlor furniture made in Sao Paulo, Brazil. 96 

17. Dining-room suite of fine quality made in Brazil. 97 

18. One style of bedroom furniture used in Brazil. 104 

19. Dining-room furniture of medium quality made in Sao Paulo, Brazil. 105 

20. Hotel furniture made at a local factory in Brazil. 112 

21. Bank fixtures made by Brazilian manufacturers. 113 


7 














































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•> • 


















LETTER OF SUBMITTAL. 


Department of Commerce, 

Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, 

Washington, September 1 , 1919. 

Sir : There is submitted herewith a report on the furniture mar¬ 
kets of Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Brazil, by Trade Com¬ 
missioner Harold E. Everley. Mr. Everley’s report on Colombia was 
published as Special Agents Series No. 162, and his reports on the 
furniture markets of Chile, Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador were pub¬ 
lished under one cover as Special Agents Series No. 176. 

Respectfully, 

Philip B. Kennedy, 

Director. 


To Hon. William C. Redfield, 

Secretary of Commerce. 












































FURNITURE MARKETS OF ARGENTINA, URUGUAY, 
PARAGUAY, AND BRAZIL. 


Part 1.—ARGENTINA. 

I. INTRODUCTION. 

AREA AND GEOGRAPHICAL FEATURES. 

The Argentine Republic, second in area and population of the 
South American countries, is situated in the southern part of the 
continent. The area is 1,153,418 square miles, equaling one-third 
that of the United States, or that portion of the country east of the 
Mississippi River. It is separated from Chile on the west by the 
Andes Mountains and is bounded on the north by Bolivia and Para¬ 
guay and on the east by Brazil, Uruguay, and the Atlantic Ocean. 
A part of the Republic is rough and undulating tahleland, while the 
remainder, comprising nine-tenths of the whole, is an immense plain 
more than 2,000 miles long in its greatest dimension. The greater 
part of the Republic has rich soil and is largely devoted to agricul¬ 
tural and pastoral industries. On the western border the mountains 
hold undeveloped mineral resources. The wealth of Argentina 
comes chiefly from her agricultural activities, which have placed the 
country high in commercial importance among the nations of the 
world. 

CLIMATE AND SEASONS. 

The climate varies greatly, as might be expected in a country whose 
length is almost 2,300 miles from north to south. The northern tip 
of the Republic is within the Tropics, and the southern point extends 
to the Strait of Magellan and is, therefore, relatively cold. The 
great central plains have a climate very much like that of the south¬ 
ern part of the United States. Argentina’s being in the southern 
latitude causes the seasons to be the exact reverse of those in the 
northern hemisphere. Its summer corresponds in months of the 
year to North American winter and its spring to the northern au¬ 
tumn. The Argentine winter lasts from May to the beginning of 
October. In Buenos Aires spring begins in September and lasts 
until mid-December. Summer extends into March, and autumn lasts 
until the end of May. Winter occupies the remainder of the year. 

Furniture manufacturers interested in the Argentine market 
should keep the time of the seasons in mind, as it greatly influences 
the class of furniture that should be offered to that trade. When 
the fall and winter decorations are beginning in the United States, 
spring weather is at hand in Argentina, The furniture season in 
Argentina opens in March or April. 


11 



12 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF ARGENTINA. 


POPULATION AND RACIAL TEMPERAMENT. 

The population of Argentina is estimated to be nearly 9,000,000, 
or less than one-tenth of that of the United States. This is approxi¬ 
mately seven persons per square mile. The population is composed 
largely of foreign-born persons and the descendants of those who 
settled earlier in the country. The tide of immigration, which since 
1857 has set steadily from Europe toward Argentina, has had a 
great effect in the building of the country and in molding the char¬ 
acter of the inhabitants. The total number of immigrants coming 
into the country, according to available records, has amounted to 
4,665,723. Immigration has been chiefly from southern Europe. 
Italy has sent more than any other country, the number being esti¬ 
mated at 2,283,882. The second largest group, numbering 1,472,579 
persons, came from Spain. It may be seen at once that the Italians 
and Spaniards alone represent approximately 80 per cent of the total 
immigration. No other Spanish-American country, except Uruguay, 
has a people of a stock so predominantly European. The immigrants 
and their descendants have had a great influence upon the thought 
and life of the country. The artistih temperament of the Latin race 
is evidenced to a very large degree in the tastes of the people, and its 
effect can be seen in their desire for furniture copied from that de¬ 
signed by French and Italian masters. 

The problem of assimilating the European immigrant has not been 
an easy one and has become a subject of serious consideration. Ar¬ 
gentina, like the United States, is a melting-pot. A varied popula¬ 
tion creates varied wants. This is true in regard to furniture as 
well as to anything else. 

IMPORTANT CENTERS OF TRADE. 

There are several cities in Argentina which have more than 50,000 
inhabitants. Of these Buenos Aires and Rosario are the two most 
important. Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, is the largest 
Spanish city in the world, the second largest Latin city—Paris out¬ 
ranking it—and the fourth city in the Western Hemisphere. It is 
very cosmopolitan, there being approximately one-half million for¬ 
eigners among its inhabitants. The city has clean, splendidly lighted 
streets, modern buildings, and great commercial and importing 
houses. It is the principal terminal of the greatest railway system 
of the country, the center of Argentine culture and learning," and one 
of the world’s great markets for many manufactured products. As a 
commercial center, Buenos Aires is to Argentina what New York is 
to the United States. It is an excellent market for imported house 
furniture and, by reason of its increasing commercial importance, is 
becoming a greater market for the sale of American office equipment. 

Rosario, in the Province of Santa Fe, with a population of 220,- 
000 inhabitants, is the second city of the Republic. It is 189 miles 
up the Parana River from Buenos Aires. Excellent transporta¬ 
tion facilities connect the two cities. Ocean steamers and river 
craft can dock alongside of splendid piers. Railroads pass 
through Rosario from Buenos Aires and extend on into the inte¬ 
rior. Fast express trains make the trip between the two cities in 
four hours. Rosario is purely a commercial city and offers a lim- 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF ARGENTINA. 


13 


ited market for office furniture. One dealer reports that approx¬ 
imately $50,000 worth of office equipment is imported annually 
into Rosario. While there are several other cities, such as La Plata, 
Bahia Blanca, Cordoba, Santa Fe, Tucuman, and Mendoza, which 
are of more or less interest to the local dealers, they are of very 
little importance to the American furniture manufacturer or exporter. 

NATURAL RESOURCES AND WEALTH. 

Argentina’s source of wealth lies in her agricultural and pas¬ 
toral industries. In 1914 it was estimated that 60,000,000 acres 
were under cultivation and a recent census shows live-stock prop¬ 
erty to be valued at $700,000,000. Naturally the country’s indus¬ 
tries are closely related to the products of the land. 

PASTORAL INDUSTRIES. 

The dairy business has increased rapidly in the last few years. 
The annual value of the products is said to be $8,000,000. The 
exportation of meat and cattle has assumed gigantic proportions. 
Several freezing, chilling, and canning plants are in successful 
operation. During the war these plants were kept running under 
high pressure to supply the demands of the Allied armies fight¬ 
ing in Europe. The value of products exported by Argentina in 
1917 was $530,914,097, a greater part of which represented the in¬ 
come from her agricultural and stock-raising industries. 

FORESTS. 

Notwithstanding the fact that the imports of lumber amount to 
10 times the quantity produced in Argentina the forests, next to 
the output of the soil, constitute the country’s most valuable natural 
resource; but transportation of lumber from them is difficult and 
costly. Many of the woods—with some exceptions, chief of which 
is Spanish cedar—are hard, heavy, expensive to work, difficult to sea¬ 
son, and unfit for general utility purposes. While the natural re¬ 
sources of Argentina are very important they are not those that 
greatly favor the manufacture of furniture in the country. 

FOREIGN TRADE. 

STATISTICS OF IMPORTS AND EXPORTS. 

The total foreign trade of Argentina in 1916 amounted to 
$906,310,540, of which $353,316,001 represented the imports and 
$552,994,539 the exports. In 1917 the total foreign trade amounted 
to $897,924,034, which was slightly less than that of the preceding 
year. The imports were valued at $367,009,927 and the exports were 
$530,914,097. These figures represent actual c. i. f. values. 

Previous to the year 1914 the United States took third place as 
a source of Argentina’s imported goods. In 1913 Great Britain took 
first place, having furnished goods to the value of $68,000,000 
more than Germany, which in turn took second place with $10,000,000 
more than the United States. The United States took the lead for 
the first time in 1916, when its trade with Argentina exceeded that 


14 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF ARGENTINA. 


of Great Britain by almost $4,000,000. In 1917 this lead had become 
so firmly established that those familiar with trade conditions of the 
country felt that this position would continue to be held. In 1917 
the imports into Argentina from the United States were valued at 
$135,251,949, as compared with $80,080,322 from Great Britain. The 
gain in the amount of goods the United States has purchased from 
Argentina in the last few years has been extraordinary. The values 
increased from $23,278,409 in 1913 to $155,626,288 in 1917. Great 
Britain formerly held first place in the Argentine export trade, and 
in 1913 purchased goods to the value of $124,750,403. That country 
has now fallen to second place with totals but slightly below those of 
the United States. 

The enormous increase of Argentina’s exports over the imports has 
left the country with a heavy trade balance in its favor which has 
passed all records. Without doubt when normal trade is reestab¬ 
lished the condition will be somewhat changed as it again becomes 
possible to obtain goods. And the indications are that furniture 
will be among the imports, so long delayed, that will be much in 
demand. 

THE OUTLOOK FOR TRADE. 

During a period shortly after the outbreak of the war business 
conditions in Argentina suffered severe reverses. There were a num¬ 
ber of large failures, a sharp drop in the price of land, and a sudden 
restriction in business activities, due largely to a series,of poor crops, 
land speculation, and the withdrawal of European capital. How¬ 
ever, by 1917, with heavy crops and good prices for all agricultural 
products, much of the financial uneasiness that was experienced at 
the beginning of the war had disappeared, and commercial transac¬ 
tions, though considerably restricted, had been resumed. 

Owing to the great scarcity of ships, excessive freight rates, high 
prices, and labor troubles which tied up the docks and harbors and 
made it difficult at times for ships to discharge their cargoes, imports 
of all classes of goods were greatly reduced as compared to those of 
years immediately preceding the war. The phenomenal growth of 
the exports, with the declining imports during the last two or three 
years, has resulted in a great trade balance in favor of Argentina. 
This, with the difficulty of obtaining foreign-made necessities, is 
bringing about a condition that manufacturers and commercial men 
should take into account. The low level of the imports during the 
war indicates that the country has been using up or doing without 
stocks of many foreign manufactured products. Now that the war is 
over and many restrictions removed there is sure to be a heavy de¬ 
mand for imported materials of all kinds. 

Argentina is about to enter a period of great economic activity 
which will include development commercially, industrially, agricul¬ 
turally, and otherwise. All progress which has been suspended dur¬ 
ing the war can now be more easily made with the aid of the ac¬ 
cumulated credits which have piled up during the war. 


II. STATISTICS OF FURNITURE IMPORTS. 


The furniture imports of Argentina have steadily increased since 
1908. From that year to the close of 1913 there was a gain of almost 
70 per cent. During 1913 the value of furniture purchased abroad 
was $2,809,494, which gave Argentina a place of importance among 
foreign countries as a market for imported furniture. 

Because of the many difficulties and restrictions brought about by 
the European war, the Argentine furniture imports have steadily 
decreased since 1913 until the business in 1917 amounted to less than 
$500,000. This represents a loss of 85 per cent since the last normal 
year of trade. 

According to statistics prepared by the Argentine Government, 
the values in United States currency of all furniture imported, and 
the countries of origin, for the years 1913, 1914, 1915, 1916, and 1917 
are as follows: 


Countries of origin. 

1913 

1914 

1915 

1916 

1917 

Austria. 

$579,589 
20,7.9 
397.2S2 
384,586 

140.106 
45,018 

528.106 
636,733 

17,315 

*244,421 

9.049 

229,231 

158,369 

99,171 

15,456 

419,698 

305,248 

14,884 

$38,494 



Belgium. 



France. 

88,781 
29,000 
36,095 
10,997 
179,335 
266.6C8 
3,611 

*87,812 
3,045 
21,345 
33,108 
182,559 
192,486 
8,130 

*38,346 

160 

18,089 

31,700 

128,407 

193,706 

7,897 

Germany. 

Italy. 

Spain. 

United Kingdom. 

Umted States. 

All other countries. 

Total. 

2,803,494 

1,494,728 

652,981 528,485 

418,305 


The imported furniture of Argentina is divided into three groups 
according to the material of which it is made. These groups are 
iron, brass or bronze, and wood. Iron furniture, including beds, 
tables, chairs, and other objects, was imported in 1913 to the value of 
$44,836, of which approximately 71 per cent was credited to Great 
Britain. Brass and bronze furniture consisted of brass beds and 
bronze pieces, the value of which in 1913 was $96,506. Of this 
amount Great Britain furnished $87,161 worth, or 90 per cent of the 
total, consisting chiefly of brass beds. The third and most impor¬ 
tant group of furniture imported by Argentina is that made of 
wood, the value of which in 1913 was $2,668,152. In this trade 
the United States led, having supplied furniture to the value of 
$686,229, which was chiefly office equipment, cheap chairs, and seats 
for schools and theaters. Austria took second place with shipments 
consisting chiefly of bent-wood chairs, and valued at $579,589. Great 
Britain and France ranked third and fourth respectively. The trade 
credited to these countries was, for the most part, in high-grade 

16 

























16 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF ARGENTINA. 


house furniture. Germany followed in fifth place with a cheap prod¬ 
uct. The decline that will be noted in the importation of furniture 
was due largely to the overstocking of the market in 1913 and to the 
crisis of 1914 which was brought about by land speculation, a series 
of poor crops, and the outbreak of the war. 

The following statistics of imports indicate more specifically the 
kinds of furniture imported. However, the only classification avail¬ 
able is not complete inasmuch as approximately one-third of the 
total value of the furniture imported is listed under “ Unclassified.” 
The tables give the values of the furniture imported and the coun¬ 
tries of origin in the last half of 1913 and in 1914, 1915, 1916, and 
1917. 


Classification and countries of origin. 

1913 

(July- 

Dee.). 

1914 

1915 

1916 

1917 

BUFFETS. 

Belgium. 


$299 

719 

1,476 

2,282 

598 

13,071 

76 

116 




France. 

$835 

901 

1,361 

1,081 

10,359 

174 

$704 

232 

241 


$29 

Germany. 


Italy....”.. 

$241 

29 

7,792 

147 


Spain. 

116 

1,949 

United Kingdom. 

4,729 

232 

United States. 

All other countries. 

352 

Total. 




14,711 

18,637 

6,138 

8,209 

2,446 

bedroom suites and lavatories. 

Austria. 


80 

507 

973 




France. 

801 

203 

309 

261 

6,218 

246 

152 

399 

290 

405 

100 


Germany. 


Italy....”.. 

145 

68 

2,962 

472 


Spain. 

125 
7,040 
116 
709 


United Kingdom. 

4,743 

349 

248 

2,741 
7,006 
102 

United States. 

All other countries. 

Total. 


8,190 

9,550 

6,434 

3,747 

9,849 

COMMODES. 

Austria. 


19 

180 

290 

77 

2,914 

19 




France. 

434 

19 

39 

212 

29 

Germany. 

Italy....'.. 

58 

598 

39 



United Kingdom. 

2,107 

39 

77 

3,814 

39 

1,949 

347 

77 

United States. 

All other countries. 

Total. 




2,676 

3,499 

734 

4,065 

2,402 

CHAIRS OF ALL KINDS, INCLUDING OFFICE CHAIRS. 

Austria. 

193.983 
1.512 
103,037 
14,872 
915 
13.666 
114,130 
890 

188.308 

2.606 

70.146 

15,840 

65,336 
501 
13,182 
6,678 
893 
6,697 
45,167 
6,046 



France... 

488 

1,286 

6,041 

18.921 

6,331 

76,275 

5,016 

236 

Germany. 

Italy.. .*.. 

4,933 

20,400 

6,396 

48,349 

388 

Spain. 

United Kingdom. 

14.080 

77,224 

4,367 

United States. 

All other countries. 

Total. 

443,005 

372,571 

144,500 

114,358 

80.702 

OFFICE DESKS AND LADIES’ DESKS. 

France. 

501 

1,028 

145 

526 

217 

178 

350 

58 

58 

318 

• 29 

Germany. 

Italy. 

34 
29 
4,485 
14,578 

29 

92 

4,091 

7,595 

8 

Spain. 

United Kingdom. 

7,555 

63,988 

3,976 

50,596 

2,472 

27,834 

77 

United States. 

All other countries. 

Total. 




73,217 

55,493 

30,849 

19,444 

11,844 




























































































FURNITURE MARKETS OF ARGENTINA. 


17 


Classification and countries of origin. 


1913 

(July- 

Dee.). 


1914 


1915 


1916 


1917 


CHINA CLOSETS, MUSIC HACKS, BOOKCASES, AND 
BOOKRACKS. 


Austria... 
France... 
Germany. 


Italy. 

Spam. 

United Kingdom.. 

United States. 

All other countries. 


$93 
646 
324 
230 
724 
3,910 
3,152 


$125 

472 

1,438 

125 

97 

5,182 

4,055 

20 


$95 

' i 27 


2,731 

591 

344 


Total. 


9,079 


11,514 


3.8 S 8 


SMALL BENChES. 


France. 

Germany. 

Italy. 

Spam. 

United Kingdom.. 

United States. 

All other countries. 

Total. 


174 

15 


46 


2 

80 


63 

1,081 


BIDETS. 


France. 

Germany. 

United Kingdom. 
United States 


Total. 


PIANO BENCHES. 


Austria. 

France. 

Germany. 

Italy. 

Spam. 

United Kingdom... 

United States. 

All other countries. 

Total. 


SOFAS AND COUCHFS. 


Austria. 

Fran e. 

Germany.. 

Italy. 

Spam. 

United Kingdom.. 

United States. 

All other countries. 

Total. 


DINING TABLES, SERVING TABLES, CENTER TABLES, 
NIGHT TABLES. 

Austria. 

France. 

Germany. 

Italy. 


Spain. 

United Kingdom.. 

United States.. 

All other countries. 

Total.. 


DRESSING TABLES. 


Austria. 

Belgium. 

France. 

Germany. 

United Kingdom.. 
All other countries. 


Total. 


106 

34 

48 

12 


200 


565 

9 

4,622 

61 


205 

645 

6 


6,113 


4,056 

371 

2,812 

4,582 

19 

2,633 

23,753 


38,226 


100 

1,278 

765 

1,891 

943 

14,425 

879 

184 


20,465 


14 

7 

176 


204 


271 


1,190 


72 

347 


29 


22 

6 


424 


57 


428 

29 

3,274 

113 

6 

49 

318 


174 

225 

896 

90 

14 

137 

284 

57 


4,217 


1,877 


3,235 

313 

2,566 

10,441 


3,363 

16,418 

381 


402 
63 
852 
5,172 
372 
1,273 
9,055 
488 


$162 

"168 


2,4 S 4 
89 


2,903 


279 


189 

112 


682 


58 


43 


101 


35 

58 

75 

162 

435 

982 


1,747 


4,536 

152 

1,684 

9,664 

69 


36,717 


17,677 


16,095 


1.656 

1,479 

2,555 

397 

20,125 

2,536 

676 


565 

145 

1,295 


972 


9,157 
• 481 

17 


2,328 

1,073 

16,612 

1,165 

29 


29,424 


11,660 


22,143 


579 


586 


$29 


56 

23 

1,629 

5,720 

35 


7,492 


235 


17 

4 

388 

71 

14 


729 


87 


17 

58 

244 

701 

14 


1,121 


3,011 

58 

2,458 

4,875 

45 


10,447 


571 


1,865 

194 

38,766 

11,045 

180 


52,621 


120314°—19-2 




































































































































18 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF ARGENTINA, 


Classification and countries of origin. 

1913 

(July- 

Dee.). 

1914 

1915 

1916 

1917 

BILLIARD TABLES. 

Franca . 


$ 1,737 

$145 

290 

1,737 


$869 

Spain. 



United Kingdom. 

8835 

4,975 

10 

869 

145 

97 

$724 

296 

1,448 

United States. 

All other countries. 


145 

Total. 



5,820 

2,848 

2,172 

1,020 

2,462 

BEDS AND CRIBS OF WOOD. 

Austria. 

615 

286 

367 

425 

560 

1,291 

58 

1,062 

58 

107 




“Belgium. 




France . 

1,119 

174 

425 

995 

504 

139 

58 

642 


20 

Germany.. 


Italy. 

389 

669 

1,503 

61 

207 

386 

212 

1,833 

126 

46 

58 

125 

488 

1,113 

221 

Spain. 

United Kingdom. 

United States. 

All other countries. 

Total. 

4,029 

4,214 

3,471 

2,603 

2,025 

SEWING TABLES. 

France. 

23 

23 

62 

23 

46 

66 

Germany...:_..............._ 

Italy_".. 


31 



Spain. 



69 

2,062 

46 


United Kingdom. 

351 

483 

50 

496 

433 

United States. 

All other countries. 



2 

Total. 





374 

618 

550 

2,223 

501 

WOODEN COTS. 

Austria. 






64 
298 
107 
1,005 
5,197 

342 

6 



France. 



Germany. 

17 

8 

5,695 




United Kingdom. 




United States. 

5,201 

3,802 

454 

23 

All other countries. 

ft 

Total. 





6,671 

6,062 

5,207 

3,802 

477 

HALL TREES AND CORNER RACKS. 

Austria. 

2,809 

3,256 

29 

910 

29 

34 

2 

684 

91 

6 

132 

136 



France.1. 

102 


Germany. 

1,937 


Italy.. 

39 

275 

310 

417 

29 

45 

540 

423 

69 

14 

Spain. 


United Kingdom. 

219 

146 

253 

516 

72 

United States. 

All other countries. 

Total. 



5,364 

4,812 

1,085 

1,172 

1,091 

WARDROBES WITHOUT MIRRORS. 

Austria. 

290 

241 

193 

97 

350 

172 




Belgium. 




France. 

87 

1,013 

63 

246 

1,473 

145 

58 

48 


Germany. 


Italy.. 

58 



Spain. 



United Kingdom. 

979 

48 

153 

637 

275 

170 

936 

203 

232 

United States. 

All other countries. 

Total. 





3,317 

2,080 

906 

493 

1,371 

FURNITURE, N. E. S. 

Austria. 

503 
1,757 
465,827 
6,131 
12,024 
3,106 
61,302 
34,010 
557 





Belgium. 





France. 

ilO ,757 
22,156 
33,608 
6,474 
99,235 
28,511 
7,112 

33,436 
3,985 
8,808 

5,150 
51,268 
14,395 
1,538 

48,843 
1,042 
5,257 
4,583 
80,054 
32,752 
656 

35,634 

Germany. 

Italy.. 

7,086 
9,035 
73,903 
94,179 
1,682 

Spain. 

United Kingdom. 

United States. 

All other countries. 

Total. 

185,217 

307,853 

118,580 

173,187 

221,519 





























































































































FURNITURE MARKETS OF ARGENTINA. 


19 


For customs and statistical purposes the imports of furniture into 
Argentina have been reckoned according to a certain arbitrary valu¬ 
ation per unit of quantity, which was adopted in 1906 and has not 
been changed with the gradual advance in prices. The result is that 
the figures given in the table above for 1915,1916, and 1917 are some¬ 
what lower than the actual values of the furniture imported. But 
they afford a fair idea of the origin and amount of furniture being 
brought into the country. 

The gain in the total furniture imports of Argentina for the 
five years previous to the outbreak of the war was nearly 70 per 
cent. During this period the increase in the imports of all classes of 
furniture into Argentina from Austria was 49 per cent, from Franee 
76 per cent, from Germany 36 per cent, from the United Kingdom 
153 per cent, and from the United States 83 per cent. The fact that 
the largest gain previous to 1914 was made by the United Kingdom 
is significant and should be of interest to American manufacturers, 
as it seems to indicate that the type of furniture which is gaining 
in favor and that the trade methods which are most effective in the 
Argentine market are those which could without great difficulty be 
offered by United States manufacurers. 

The following table shows the percentages of the Argentine furni¬ 
ture trade held by the various countries in the years 1913 to 1917, 
inclusive: 


Countries of origin. 

1913 

1914 

1915 

1916 

1917 

Austria. 

Per cent. 
20.11 
.78 
14.32 
13.31 
4.89 
1.79 
18.45 
25.75 
.60 

Per cent. 
15.82 
.58 
14.86 

10.25 
6.42 
1.00 

30.25 
19.24 

1.58 

Per cent. 
5.41 

Per cent. 

Per cent. 

Belgium. 



Franco. 

5.01 

4.70 

5.22 

1.61 

26.02 

51.41 

.62 

16.61 

.57 

4.04 

6.26 

34.54 

36.42 

1.56 

9.16 

.04 

4.32 

7.57 

30.69 

46.30 

1.92 

Germany. 

Italy. 

Spam. 

United Kingdom.... 

United States. 

All other countries... 























III. SPECIAL FACTORS INFLUENCING TRADE. 


There are several factors which must be considered in order to 
understand why some classes of American furniture have not found a 
ready market in Argentina. The opinion of not a few Americans is 
that the dislike the native Argentinian has had for American furni¬ 
ture has been due to some extravagant ideas he has about his furniture 
needs, and that he could readily adopt what is made in the United 
States if he chose, and that it would serve him fully as well as 
that which he has been using. Such an idea is very erroneous. 
It is true that Argentine people have different ideas from those 
of the people of the United States in regard to the furnishing of 
a home, but their opinions in this matter are largely governed by 
certain well-founded reasons, and in many respects it would be 
difficult, if not almost impossible, for them appropriately to fur¬ 
nish their houses with some of the furniture which has been offered 
to them by United States manufacturers. 

ESTHETIC TASTES OF THE PEOPLE. 

One of the chief of the factors which have influenced the style of 
furniture that can be sold in Argentina is the character of the ma¬ 
jority of the people. The population of the country is largely of 
Latin descent. The love of the ornate and beautiful has been 
strongly planted within these people, and it is only natural that 
they should admire the French and everything that is from France. 
.The ambition of almost all Argentinians is to spend some time in 
Paris, which, it has been said, is their Mecca; and nothing delights 
them more than to be told that “ Buenos Aires is the Paris of South 
Am er i ca ^ 

TYPES OF ARCHITECTURE. 

The love of French customs and the admiration of French deco¬ 
ration has had an influence on the architecture of the Argentine 
dwellings. For the last 30 years most of the better residences 
have been designed by French architects or by Argentinians who 
have been trained in France. The houses are large, the rooms are 
spacious, and the ceilings are high. The interior decorations on 
the ceilings and walls are chiefly after those of the Louis XIV and 
Louis XVI periods, and the floors are usually laid in parquetry. 
Even in the less pretentious homes of people of moderate means 
the same general ideas of architecture and decoration have been 
carried out on a less extensive scale, and in the houses which are 
occupied by the common people the large rooms and high ceilings 
are still in use. 

THE PREVAILING TYPE. 

The type of architecture which has been used in the construction of 
most of the houses has been a deciding feature in the kind of furni¬ 
ture that was purchased. Not only had it to be ornate, but the 
20 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF ARGENTINA. 


21 


prevailing custom of building a house with ceilings at least 14 to 
16 feet in height required that the furniture be designed to be 
somewhat in proportion to the size of the rooms and height of 
the walls. For this reason it has been the practice to have dining¬ 
room furniture of a much taller pattern than is used in the United 
States, where houses are built with ceilings averaging from 10 to 
10£ feet in height. American furniture of modern patterns has been 
criticized because it looks diminutive in houses with large rooms 
and high ceilings. In particular, such criticism has been made of 
American dining-room suites which have the low-styled buffets, 
sideboards, and serving tables. 

For the sake of harmony in house decoration and through sym¬ 
pathy for the particular style, most of the furniture has come from 
France. Louis XIV and XVI furniture has been popular for many 
years and to many wealthy Argentine families it still constitutes the 
very acme of perfection. Every owner of a house who makes any 
pretense of properly furnishing it clings to this style of furniture, 
at least for some of the rooms. Almost every family that can afford 
it has a “ sala ” furnished in gilded French or Italian parlor furni¬ 
ture. 

INTERIOR ARRANGEMENTS. 

In the United States the tendency has been to add to the home con¬ 
veniences, such as built-in clothes closets or wardrobes, which have 
gradually reduced the number of pieces of furniture necessary. 
Until very recently it seemingly never occurred to architects design¬ 
ing Argentine houses to plan for a built-in clothes closet of any 
kind, and for this reason very few, if any, of the older houses have 
them. As a result bedroom furniture made for that country must 
include very large wardrobes if it is to be salable. 

In order to more fully understand the furniture needs of the Ar¬ 
gentine people a correct conception of the arrangement of their 
dwellings should be had. The ordinary Argentine house is very 
poorly designed, according to American ideas, and lacks the con¬ 
veniences that characterize most United States residences. It is an 
uncomfortable, one-story, brick house, built on a long narrow plot, 
and is an adaptation of the old Roman house-plan of grouping rooms 
about open courts or “ patios.” The parlor or “ sala ” faces the front 
of the house and the dining-room opens into the first court. Often 
this room has no provision for light or ventilation except that which 
comes from the open court side. The bedrooms are arranged around 
a second court and the bathroom and kitchen are usually at the ex¬ 
treme rear of the building. There are servants’ quarters over these 
which are reached by an outdoor staircase. 

Comforts of a conveniently arranged dwelling are practically un¬ 
known to the untravelecl Argentinian. While the open construction 
described above makes a cool summer residence, it is deadly in win¬ 
ter. The walls become damp and the rooms cold, because no pro¬ 
vision is made for heating the house. 

OTHER TYPES—APARTMENT HOUSES. 

A good number of wealthy Argentinians have built enormous dwell¬ 
ings which they call “petit hotels” or villas. These houses contain a 
great number of rooms where a family and, in many cases, a large 


•22 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF ARGENTINA. 


number of the relatives live. Some of these houses are beautifully 
furnished with most magnificent furniture purchased in Europe. 

In Buenos Aires in recent years there has been a rapid develop¬ 
ment of the French type of apartment house, and, at present, the 
city is rather overstocked with ill-arranged flats of from 12 to 14 
large rooms, elaborately finished with parqueted floors, wall decora¬ 
tion, servant entrances, and elevators. Because of the greatly in¬ 
creased cost of living there is a demand for smaller, less pretentious 
apartments, and there is now an opportunity and need for the devel¬ 
opment of the more modern American type of flat with four or five 
rooms and all modern conveniences. 

Life and living conditions are much different in Argentina from 
those in the United States. The mode of living and the comforts 
that have been adopted in American homes are unknown to most 
Argentine people. They have followed the models of European 
houses, which even to-day, in many respects, lack the home conven¬ 
iences that are common in the average American dwelling. While 
the new Argentine houses tend to be more modern than the old ones, 
there is still an inclination to hold to the patio idea; and the general 
plans that have been in use for many years will, to a large degree, 
continue to affect the market for furniture. 

If American manufacturers are to be successful in entering the 
Argentine furniture market they must begin their campaign on the 
ground and build up. They must not expect to use as the basis of 
their plans for this new market the idea that American furniture, as 
it is, will be entirely suitable to that trade. The existing customs and 
living conditions of the country must be given study, and consider¬ 
ation of them is necessary to success. 

Americans are recognized as being a practical people, and many 
of their conveniences and comforts of home life could be introduced 
into Argentina through the proper American influence. This should 
be exerted in a quiet, orderly manner. The Argentinians are conserva¬ 
tive, but they are not slow to grasp the advantages resulting from new 
ideas, and with an honest endeavor the furniture manufacturers could 
gradually obtain favorable conditions in that market. 

FACILITIES FOR TRAVEL. 

Many Argentinians who have traveled abroad, mostly in Europe, 
have built the “ chalet ” either of absolutely French or of English de¬ 
sign. Dwellings of this type are generally well equipped with ex¬ 
pensive furniture brought from London or Paris. There are several 
reasons why Argentinians buy in England and France instead of 
the United States. One is that in traveling to Europe boats offer¬ 
ing the most frequent sailings, the best accommodations, fine serv¬ 
ice, and quick trips are to be had, while those running between Ar¬ 
gentina and the United States are old, small, and slow, with poor ac¬ 
commodations and almost no service. Some one has said that thev 
are patronized largely because the distance is too long to swim. It 
is indeed agreeable to learn of the changes that are contemplated in 
both freight and passenger service between North and South 
America. As buyers of good imported furniture are usually trav¬ 
elers also, making pleasant a journey to the United States really 
means an increase in the furniture business. 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF ARGENTINA. 


23 


DESIGN, QUALITY, AND PRICE OF AMERICAN FURNITURE. 

While the importers of American house furniture of good quality 
have been well pleased with their purchases, generally speaking, they 
offer some criticism which manufacturers should note. 

The technic of first-class American house furniture is considered 
good with one exception. The drawers in most American house 
furniture sent to Argentina are thought to be too loosely fitted. 
They are desired to w T ork smoothly and easily without any sidewise 
or up-and-down play. But care must bo used in fitting drawers 
and doors in furniture for that country, as the climate is very damp 
during the winter months, and in most of the houses there is no pro¬ 
vision for heat to keep them dry and warm. 

In some instances the general design of American furniture has 
been criticized as being an adaptation of certain periods and not 
purely of any one classic style; also, that the hardware, such as 
knobs, escutcheons, pulls, and other metal trimmings, did not always 
match the furniture, not being true interpretations of the design they 
were supposed to represent. For this reason much of the furniture 
hardware offered to the Argentine market by American manufac¬ 
turers has not found acceptance. The Argentine purchasers of good 
furniture and furniture hardware are critical buyers and the manu¬ 
facturers will have to use great care in what they offer to them. 

The importers who have purchased furniture made in the United 
States consider the price higher than that of furniture of similar 
quality purchased in Europe, especially from England. It is claimed 
that English furniture undersold the American product from 15 
to 20 per cent before the war. The difference in manufacturing 
costs is given as the reason. But the margin of differences in price 
may be reduced somewhat by economical packing and cheaper ship¬ 
ping rates. 

The quality of American packing of house furniture sent to Ar¬ 
gentina in the last two or three years has been good. Fine furni¬ 
ture shipped to one of the exclusive dealers in Buenos Aires arrived 
in excellent shape. However, in the shipping of both house and 
office furniture there is not a general careful regard for saving space. 
Whenever possible furniture should be shipped knocked down. 
Empty spaces should be used or entirely eliminated at every oppor¬ 
tunity. Freight bills from certain firms are from 10 to 35 per cent 
higher than those for similar goods from other firms. 

The furniture season of Argentina opens in March and April when 
people return from Europe where they go to avoid the Argentine 
summer. Manufacturers who are shipping furniture to Argentina 
should see that it is dispatched in time to arrive and be placed on 
the floor of the dealer by the end of February or the beginning of 
March. The failure of a particular shipment of American furniture 
to reach a certain Buenos Aires dealer on time resulted in much of the 
stock being carried over to the following season. 

COMPETITION OF THE DOMESTIC INDUSTRY. 

The manufacture and sale of furniture, household and office, do¬ 
mestic and foreign, constitute one of the important lines of business 
in the Argentine Republic. In Buenos Aires, the Federal capital, 


• 24 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF ARGENTINA. 


according to the industrial census of October, 1914, there were 344 
establishments selling furniture and tapestry, of which 59 were foreign 
houses, 270 native and 15 mixed or not specified. Their capital was 
estimated to be $4,118,715; they gave employment to 1,482 persons; 
their stock was valued at $3,525,165; their sales for the previous year 
amounted to $8,812,381; and in a list of 165 of the principal lines of 
business in Buenos Aires the furniture trade maintained an average 
precedence of 22. 

EFFECT OF WAR ON DOMESTIC FURNITURE MANUFACTURE. 

Domestic competition has had a noticeable effect upon the sale of 
imported house furniture. This has been due not to superiority in 
quality nor to an advantage in prices, but to the greater suitability 
of the domestic designs to the Argentine home. The war also gave 
impetus to the domestic industry. It is interesting to note how the 
manufacture of furniture has been stimulated by the necessity created 
through the paralysis of importation and the continuance of a strong 
domestic demand. The difficulty of obtaining a foreign-made prod¬ 
uct, with a strong demand and high prices for furniture, encouraged 
the local manufacturers to take advantage of the situation. Imme¬ 
diately after the foreign markets were cut off, they began to copy 
models and designs that formerly came from Paris and London, and 
to sell the product of their own industry for high prices. 

Soon after the outbreak of the war building operations in Ar¬ 
gentina ceased and 30,000 carpenters were suddenly thrown out of 
employment. A large proportion of these, who were skilled workmen 
drawing $3 to $4 per day, turned their attention to the manufacture 
of furniture. Many of them formed small companies of five or six 
men and established shops either for their own account or for retail 
stores. This resulted in a great quantity of furniture, imitation of 
that formerly imported, being turned out to order. The designs 
used, for the most part, were copied from foreign patterns which 
were loaned by the dealers to the men in the small shops. In many 
instances excellent results have been obtained and fair imitations of 
foreign-made furniture, which brought high prices, have been offered 
to the market. 

The domestic furniture produced in such quantities has come from 
two sources. One is a purely native industry which has been fostered 
by Argentine labor and capital. The other (more fully treated on 
pages 26 and 27) may be said to be foreign to a certain degree, in¬ 
asmuch as the capital invested and the directing management are 
English or other nationality, not Argentine. 

LACK OF FACILITIES FOR QUANTITY PRODUCTION. 

The furniture produced by the domestic manufacturers is mostly 
handmade. Very little machine work is done except in roughing out 
the stock. The cabinetmakers prepare the material and join it up 
and complete the piece for the finisher. Modern machines such as 
those for gluing and sanding, and other labor-saving devices, are not 
used, and the hand labor done is considerable and costly. 

The quality of this work varies from poor to excellent. The fur¬ 
niture produced ranges from the cheapest, most poorly constructed, 


Special Agents Series No. 183. 



FIG. 2.—DINING-ROOM FURNITURE MADE BY AN ARGENTINE FIRM. 

The suite is made of mahogany and decorated with solid bronze fittings. The retail price is $1,100 in United States currency. 
























Special Agents Series No. 183. 



FIG. 3.—BEDROOM FURNITURE MADE IN BUENOS AIRES BY DOMESTIC MANUFACTURERS. 

This suite is decorated with solid bronze castings. It is a very popular pattern and retails for $1,155 United States currency. 











































FURNITURE MARKETS OF ARGENTINA. 


25 


to the highest class of cabinets. The cheaper grades are largely 
made by the Russian element of the population, and the furniture of 
good quality is produced by skilled Spanish and Italian workmen, 
who are able to execute the finest and most difficult work to perfec¬ 
tion. Practically all of the furniture produced by native manu¬ 
facturers is copied from French and Italian models. The style of 
Louis XIY is the most favored. 

Almost every element that is used in the manufacture of furniture 
in the Argentine Republic is brought into the country. Hardware, 
glue, glass, some grades of marble, upholstering materials, and to a 
very large degree the lumber, must be obtained abroad. Argentina 
has some forests, but the production of fine lumber for the manufac¬ 
ture of furniture is insignificant. The difficulty of obtaining it in 
the forest and the high cost of transporting it to the market have re¬ 
sulted in practically all the cabinet woods being imported. 

OUTLOOK FOR THE DOMESTIC INDUSTRY. 

To what extent the domestic furniture industry in Argentina 
will affect the importation of foreign-made furniture is difficult to 
say with certainty. But when all the factors which bear upon the 
subject are considered, it seems that, unless the present duties are 
greatly raised and the domestic industry is given material aid from 
the Government, foreign furniture manufacturers, with few excep¬ 
tions, need not greatly fear the competition they will meet from the 
Argentine shops. 

The two exceptions will be in the very cheap lines, excepting chairs, 
and in the most costly, special work, which can be produced in the 
country to an advantage. Very cheap furniture can be made in 
Argentina for the same or less cost than goods of similar quality 
can be imported owing to high freight, duties, and other charges on 
the imported product. 

With the above-named exceptions, furniture can not be manufac¬ 
tured economically in Argentina under normal conditions. The 
country is not a manufacturing nation. It lacks cheap fuel and 
power; it possesses no available lumber supply that can be had for 
a reasonable price, and all the cabinet woods must be imported, which 
is a great disadvantage. All other materials for the manufacture of 
furniture must also be obtained abroad, and the duties on some of 
these are such that in some instances it is cheaper to import the fin¬ 
ished product than to manufacture furniture from imported ma¬ 
terials. The case is well known of a native who owned a furniture 
factory in Argentina and who had to transfer his business to Paris 
because of the high duties on imported materials. He exports his 
furniture to Argentina and sells it there through his highly accred¬ 
ited furniture store. 

The lack of capital on the part of most domestic furniture manu¬ 
facturers is another hindrance to the development of their business. 
Many of the men interested are poor and unable to purchase mod¬ 
ern machinery and stocks of supplies, or to manufacture in quanti¬ 
ties to their own advantage. Up to the present time capitalists 
have not been much interested in the welfare of national industries. 
They have invested their money in land and stocks, which brought 
quicker and surer returns. 


26 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF ARGENTINA. 


The growth of the Argentine furniture industry in the last few 
years has been due largely to extra high prices which the domestic 
product could, under the conditions, demand, and to the fact that 
many of the native shops copied popular foreign patterns and sold 
them for the imported product. In time this will reflect upon them 
with ill results, and when foreign-made furniture can again be had at 
reasonable prices it will be purchased in preference to much of the 
poorly constructed imitation which is being sold at a high price. 

The local factories producing a good grade of house furniture 
will not, for the present at least, offer competition which the large, 
well-organized, machine-equipped, quantity-producing factories of 
the United States can not meet if they are prepared to fulfill the 
market requirements. 

COMPETITION OF RESIDENT FOREIGN FIRMS. 

There is a fair amount of furniture made in Argentina by three 
or four foreign manufacturers who have established branch houses 
in Buenos Aires for the sale of their product. Originally the shops 
connected with their retail stores were used to set up imported fur¬ 
niture and to make necessary repairs. Through these shops it was 
discovered that certain cheap lines of furniture and special pieces 
could be made locally with profit. When the war cut off most of the 
supply of foreign stocks, dealers in imported furniture were forced 
to enlarge their shops and manufacture a large amount of their 
furniture. When normal shipping and importing conditions are 
again established these dealers will discontinue the manufacture of 
much of their furniture. They will be unable to supply a product 
which can compete with foreign-made furniture of good quality, 
made in better-equipped shops and exported under favorable condi¬ 
tions. 

WARING & GILLOW. 

In recent years there has been established in Buenos Aires a 
Branch house of Waring & Gillow, a well-known English firm 
which specializes in furniture and interior decoration. This com¬ 
pany is catering to the exclusive trade of Argentina. It contracts 
to uirnish a house completely, and some of the finest dwellings of 
Buenos Aires are being fitted with furniture and other decorations 
made by this concern. The house imports its materials and em¬ 
ploys Italian and Spanish cabinetmakers to execute the work. The 
finest reproductions of all types of furniture are being successfully 
made and the business of the firm is rapidly growing. The cost of 
the furniture and other decorations produced by this concern is 
great, as may be gathered from the fact that one contract to deco¬ 
rate and furnish five rooms in the home of a wealthy Argentinian 
calls for the expenditure of almost $300,000 United States currency. 

MAPLE & CO. 

The well-known firm of Maple & Co., of London, which has been 
established in Argentina for several years, has recently taken pos¬ 
session of its new furniture store in Buenos Aires. This building 
contains six stories, each of which has 1,800 square meters of dis¬ 
play space. The building cost £250,000 ($1,216,250), and is with- 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF ARGENTINA. 


27 


out doubt the finest furniture store in South America. Besides a 
general display of fine furniture, on each floor may be found sev¬ 
eral rooms, as of a home, completely fitted with appropriate furni¬ 
ture to present to the trade a concrete example of good interior 
decoration and suitable furnishings. 

While most of the furniture sold by this firm is imported from the 
London factory, some of the cheaper grades have been made in the 
firm’s Buenos Aires shop because of the recent shipping difficulties 
and high import costs. It is thought that much of the furniture man¬ 
ufactured in Argentina by this firm will be replaced by goods from 
England when the present stock is disposed of and importing can 
be more economically done. 

THOMPSON MUEBLES (LTD.). 

Another English firm which has been established in Buenos Aires 
for several years in Thompson Muebles (Ltd.). An American trade 
paper published the following account of this firm in one of its issues 
some months ago. 

Many business men of the United States are unaware that in South America 
there are home-furnishing institutions that rival in extent and progressiveness 
the metropolitan institutions of either Europe or the northern continent of the 
Western Hemisphere. One of the most prominent of these is the store of 
Thompson Muebles (Ltd.), of Buenos Aires. The firm was founded by H. C. 
Thompson in 1888 when the store staff consisted of one assistant and a porter. 
The business grew rapidly, surviving the crisis of 1890, until in 1913 the rapid 
growth of the city and a substantial increase in the firm’s business necessitated 
larger quarters. The store was then moved to its present site in Calle Florida, 
at which time the Harrods Stores of South America, one of the largest commer¬ 
cial organizations of the country, purchased a controlling interest in the firm 
and erected on an adjoining site a large store structure harmonizing in con¬ 
struction with the original section. Extensive additions to be devoted to new 
departments will be erected in the near future. 

Perhaps the most significant feature of the Thompson Muebles store, from a 
North American standpoint, is its excellent display facilities afforded by a 
plate-glass exhibit window extending 20 meters on either side of the main 
entrance. Through the expansion of this institution, established less than 30 
years ago, the Buenos Aires public, aggregating 1,500,000 people, is afforded a 
service in home furnishing unsurpassed by many of the larger establishments of 
this country. 

In addition to the retail interests of the Buenos Aires organization, it operates 
one of the largest cabinetmaking plants in South America, employing approxi¬ 
mately 300 men. It is the endeavor of the firm to operate under as completely 
a se 1 f-contained system as possible, and through careful methods of training 
and the employment of skilled designers many articles of furniture and decora¬ 
tion are produced within its own shops. 

INDIFFERENCE OF AMERICAN MANUFACTURERS TO ARGENTINE 

MARKET. 

Possibly the greatest retarding influence in the development of the 
American house-furniture trade in Argentina is the apparent lack of 
interest the United States manufacturers have had in that market. 
Some commission houses have undertaken the sale of the cheaper 
grades of furniture, and on one or two occasions a Buenos Aires 
firm, which handles other entirely unrelated lines, made an attempt 
to introduce United States furniture, but did not succeed. A few 
years ago a salesman, representing several American furniture firms, 


28 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF ARGENTINA. 


went to Argentina to exploit the market. He was successful to a 
certain degree, inasmuch as it was chiefly through his efforts that 
one of the best stores of Buenos Aires purchased a large order of 
furniture in the United States. However, this trade will not be per¬ 
manent, as the house making the purchase is English and will no 
doubt turn again to Great Britain for furniture stocks when they can 
be obtained. 

To-day high-grade American house furniture is practically un¬ 
known in Argentina, although almost $100,000 worth of it has been 
on the floor of one of the best furniture houses of Buenos Aires. 
It was sold as the furniture of the house, and that it was the prod¬ 
uct of American furniture manufacturers, designed especially for 
that market, was not advertised. The only American house furni¬ 
ture that has been exhibited in Argentina as such has been of the 
cheap grades, and it is not generally known that the United States 
produces any better. 

American manufacturers of first-class house furniture have not, 
as yet, given any really effective support to an endeavor to intro¬ 
duce their product into Argentina, and until they are ready to 
spend time, energy and money in getting their goods on the market 
they can not hope to increase their share of the valuable business 
which is now practically in the hands of European manufacturers. 
They will have to put the goods on the market in their own names 
before a really remunerative business can be established. 

NEW TENDENCIES FAVORABLE TO AMERICAN TRADE. 

While there are many factors which have delayed the sale of 
American furniture in Argentina, there are conditions arising which 
are, or will be, favorable to the promotion of the business in that 
country. Certain changes are slowly taking place which, it seems, 
w T ill eventually make it less difficult to sell the American product to 
the Argentine people. 

EFFECT OF HIGH BUILDING COSTS ON ARCHITECTURE. 

Advance in the value of land and building materials is causing a 
noticeable tendency to erect smaller houses than were formerly 
built, and it is the opinion of a well-known architect in Buenos 
Aires that the size of rooms and the height of ceilings will be 
gradually reduced. It can also be noted that less attention is being 
given to the amount of interior wall decoration and more to con¬ 
veniences such as well equipped bathrooms. 

In the last few years several modern apartment houses have been 
built in Buenos Aires, and in order to economize in the cost of 
building, high ceilings were sacrificed in almost every case. In 
some instances built-in wardrobes were included in the plans of 
the architect. Flats having such modern conveniences are very 
seldom without occupants. The adoption of lower ceilings, smaller 
rooms, built-in clothes closets and more simple interior decoration 
is favorable to the sale of American furniture. While there are as 
yet but few modern apartment buildings in Argentina, the number 
will gradually increase and possibly with it the demand for United 
States furniture. 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF ARGENTINA. 


29 


GROWING PRESTIGE OF ENGLISH FURNITURE. 

The manufacture of a large quantity of poorly constructed do¬ 
mestic furniture which is copied from the imported French product 
and sold at prices which permit of its being purchased by the com¬ 
mon people is resulting in the better class of trade turning to some¬ 
thing entirely different. Because of this cheap copying and the 
difficulty of obtaining furniture from the usual sources the Eng¬ 
lish firms have been able to sell a large amount of furniture to many 
wealthy people who never before thought of buying anywhere but in 
France. It is only recently that the majority of these people have 
learned to appreciate the beauty in English period-furniture and 
realize that it affords as much or more comfort than the style they 
formerly purchased. Many of the new homes in Argentina have 
been partly or entirely fitted with English period-furniture, and it 
is said by furniture people who have had many years of experience 
in Argentina that the design which the better class of people de¬ 
mand is gradually changing from the highly ornate and bronze- 
covered to the more simple and comfortable. This change, no doubt, 
is due largely to the influence of English firms which have on dis¬ 
play in magnificent stores, where it can be seen to the very best ad¬ 
vantage, some of the finest English period-furniture. In one of 
these stores considerable American-made furniture of the best qual¬ 
ity which has been slightly modified to meet the trade demands is 
being exhibited and is said to be selling well. 

The success the English furniture manufacturers have in intro¬ 
ducing their product into Argentina will have a certain degree of 
good influence in making it easier for American manufacturers to 
enter the market. English period-furniture is possibly better under¬ 
stood by the average American furniture designer and builder than 
is that of the Henri and Louis periods of France, and if the Argen¬ 
tine purchasers of good furniture adopt to a large extent the styles 
of the first-mentioned periods, as it seems they may, one great dif¬ 
ficulty of entering that market will be removed for the American 
manufacturer. 


INFLUENCE OF AMERICAN MOTION PICTURES. 

The cinematograph is serving as one of the most important—though 
subtle—influences in the lives of the Argentine people and without 
doubt it is doing more than any other one agent to bring to that 
country some of the advanced ideas of other parts of the world. In 
more than 100 theaters throughout the Argentine Republic Ameri¬ 
can pictures are being seen daily by thousands of people who now 
have an opportunity as never before to study the American peo¬ 
ple, their life, their customs, and their homes from the most luxuriant 
to the most humble. New impressions are being made which will be 
beneficial to both countries. Not only has the effect been educative, 
but it has been no less valuable as a trade promoter. Many purchasers 
of furniture have been unconsciously impressed by some new idea or 
convenience which has been seen in an American film. In fact, it 
has been said that a certain customer described to her furniture dealer 
a particular piece of furniture she had seen in a motion picture and 
asked him to secure one like it for her. 


30 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF ARGENTINA. 


While there are influences at work in Argentina which eventually 
will lessen in some respects the existing difficulties of introducing 
American furniture, it must be remembered that the inhabitants of 
that country are of widely different type from that common in the 
United States, and that their customs and ideals are very much un¬ 
like those of North Americans. For this reason the success of an ef¬ 
fort to create a demand for and build up a trade in United States 
furniture in Argentina will depend no less upon the willingness and 
facility with which American manufacturers conform to the needs 
and desires of that market than upon the inclination of the people 
of that Republic to accept American ideas and methods. 


IV. MARKET FOR PARTICULAR KINDS OF FURNITURE. 

HOUSE FURNITURE. 

Argentina is an excellent market for the sale of house furniture. 
Many of the country’s foremost people are exceedingly wealthy, and 
in the cities there can be found a large number of expensively fur¬ 
nished homes which are perhaps unequaled in luxury in any part of 
the world. 

The following table shows the value of the wood furniture pur¬ 
chased from each of the various countries: 


Countries of origin. 

1913 

1914 

1915 

1916 

1917 

Austria. 

$579,589 
20,585 
395,186 
375,889 
133,744 
44,725 
403,216 
688,229 
16,988 

$244,421 

8,969 

226,932 

154,809 

97,718 

15,409 

362,716 

296,331 

14,075 

$38,494 



Belgium. 



France. 

88,276 

28,638 

35,824 

10,995 

150,870 

256,752 

3,612 

$86,880 

3,045 

21,345 

33,065 

149,511 

184,243 

8,129 

$38,300 

Germany. 

Italy. 

18,089 

31,636 

112,643 

188,010 

7,847 

Spam. 

United Kingdom. 

United States. 

All other countries. 

Total. 

2,668,151 

1,421,380 

613,461 

486,218 

396,525 



In 1913 the total furniture imports of Argentina amounted to 
$2,809,494, of which more than $2,000,000 was spent for house fur¬ 
niture. A very small part of this was credited to American manu¬ 
facturers, who, as yet, have not offered the styles and quality of fur¬ 
niture which are best suited to the taste and needs of the Argentine 
purchaser of imported furniture. While American office equipment 
is admired for its simplicity and practicalness and is much in demand 
for office use, most American house furniture has not met with favor 
from the native Argentinian. Until very recently the demand has 
been for something much more elaborate in design and ornate in 
decoration than that which has been offered by American manufac¬ 
turers ; so that practically all of the wood furniture credited to the 
United States by the Argentine import statistics consisted of office 
equipment, cheap chairs, and school seats. 

DINING-ROOM SUITES. 

Because the population of Argentina is so cosmopolitan there are 
many styles of dining-room furniture in use. English, French, Ital¬ 
ian, and Spanish designs of various periods are in demand. How¬ 
ever, it may be safely stated that the English and French furniture 
is most acceptable. That of the French periods, such as Louis XIV 
and Louis XVI, has been greatly favored for many years, and even 
now is purchased by a large number of people. In recent years the 
English period-furniture has been gaining favor. The styles of Wil- 

31 


























32 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF ARGENTINA. 


liam and Mary, Queen Ann, Jacobean, and others are becoming 
popular with purchasers of high-grade furniture. 

The market demands dining-room suites of a buffet, a serving 
table, a china closet, a rectangular dining table with the top slightly 
rounded at the corners, and six or twelve chairs. Usually the larger 
number of chairs is purchased. Because of the high ceilings, buffets 
and china closets of a tall pattern are still used to a considerable ex¬ 
tent. Most of the domestic product and some of that imported, es¬ 
pecially from France, is of this pattern. Dining chairs are desired 
not over 18 inches from the floor to the top of the seat, with the backs 
comparatively tall. 

The finish most desired in the dining-room furniture is the natural 
mahogany, although the darker colors, such as walnut and weathered 
oak, are well liked by many. Both the brilliant and dull finishes are 
used, but there is a preference for the former. 

The retail prices of dining-room suites range from $400 for the 
less expensive English furniture to $5,000 per suite for the high- 
priced French product. Even higher prices are paid for some im¬ 
ported styles. 

High-grade American dining-room furniture, slightly modified to 
meet the demands of the market, is acceptable to the Argentine trade, 
and there is reason to believe that a good business could be secured 
in this line if the manufacturers placed it properly on the market. 

BEDROOM SUITES. 

Much of the bedroom furniture used in Argentina is of Louis XVI 
design, decorated with bronze trimmings. English models also are 
popular. The best trade desires a bedroom suite consisting of one 
double bed, a large three-section wardrobe with mirrors, a lady’s toilet 
or “ vanity ” table with swinging mirrors, a writing table, two som- 
noes, two straight-back chairs, and, in many cases, a lounge. Single 
suites require a single bed, a wardrobe from 3 to 3^ feet in width, one 
somno, a “ vanity ” or dressing table, if the suite is for a lady’s room, 
and one or more straight-back chairs. Dressers and high chiffoniers 
are not wanted. A closed chiffonier containing a chest of drawers 
would be acceptable, but it should not be offered in place of the large 
wardrobe, which is absolutely indispensable because of the lack of 
built-in clothes closets even in fine houses. 

Somnoes must be included in suites of bedroom furniture. The 
poor arrangement of the bathrooms in relation to the bedrooms 
and the lack of provision for heating the houses in winter make this 
piece of furniture a necessity. The door on one of the two somnoes 
should be hung so as to swing to the left, and that on the other, to 
the right, each door swinging away from the bed. This point should 
not be overlooked, inasmuch as two somnoes are used with double 
suites. An American manufacturer failed to note this practice and 
furnished somnoes with the doors not properly hung, and, as a re¬ 
sult, a Buenos Aires dealer is having difficulty in disposing of a bed¬ 
room suite of which these form a part. 

Medium-priced bedroom furniture must include a bed, either single 
or double, one or two somnoes—according to whether the suite is 
single or double—a wardrobe, a lady’s dressing table, and two chairs. 
In some instances a bureau is used in place of a dressing table. Four 


Special Agents Series No. 183 



FIG. 4.—PARLOR SUITE MADE AT BUENOS AIRES FACTORY UNDER FOREIGN 

MANAGEMENT. 


All materials are imported and are of the very best quality, 




























Special Agents Series No. 183. 



INTERIOR FITTINGS AND FURNITURE MADE IN ARGENTINA FOR A COMMERCIAL HOUSE. 












































FURNITURE MARKETS OF ARGENTINA. 


33 


out of every six suites should include a marble-covered washstand or 
lavatory. This piece may take the place of a bureau in some cases. 
Very few of the medium-class houses in Argentina have running 
water in or near the bedrooms, and the Washstand is, therefore, a 
necessity. Practically all of the cheap domestic suites include this 
piece of furniture, which is not desired for the more elite trade be¬ 
cause the wealthy people have installed modern bathrooms in their 
dwellings. 

The most acceptable finish in bedroom furniture is the highly 
polished mahogany, although natural colors of maple, oak and other 
woods are also used. Some enameled and lacquered finishes are seen, 
but they are not generally accepted. 

Imported bedroom furniture is rather costly, selling for $450 to 
$5,000 per suite and even more, according to the number of pieces and 
the quality. 

LIVING-ROOM, LIBRARY, HALL, AND PARLOR FURNITURE. 

The architectural peculiarities of the Argentine dwelling do not 
offer difficulties in the sale of American living-room, library, and 
hall furniture, which will be acceptable if the prices quoted compare 
favorably with those asked by European manufacturers. American 
easy chairs, lounges, sofas, and other upholstered furniture covered 
with properly selected materials will sell in Argentina. Materials 
with modern conventional designs are not greatly favored, but those 
suitable for furpiture of Louis XVI and Georgian styles, as well as 
materials of solid colors and stripes of good taste, are desired. 

Usually the most expensively furnished room in the Argentine 
dwelling is the parlor. While there has been a gradual increase in 
the use of comfortable living-room and library furniture there still 
is a great demand for fine gilded French parlor furniture, and in 
order to meet the needs of the exclusive trade dealers must carry 
this line. 

KITCHEN FURNITURE—REFRIGERATORS. 

There are many homes in Argentina which have expensively 
furnished kitchens, but there are very few, if any, that are equipped 
with the labor-saving conveniences known to the modern American 
woman. This is due largely to the different customs which have 
developed in the two countries. 

In Argentina servants are necessary. The Argentine lady would 
practically lose her social standing if she were to attempt to do her 
own housework. Modem kitchen furniture, such as kitchen cabinets, 
sanitary steel tables, fireless cookers, and other pieces which are 
prized by the American woman, is practically unknown in Argen¬ 
tina. Such furniture would not sell on arguments of its being a con¬ 
venience or a labor-saving device. But if manufacturers were to 
point out the possibility of equipping a kitchen with modern furni¬ 
ture so as to make it more sanitary and of more attractive appearance, 
possibly they could sell their product to a limited extent. 

Ice boxes and small refrigerators are being used in increasing 
numbers. While the family ice box common in the United States 
is not so generally used in Argentina, it is marketable and its sale 
120314°—19-3 


34 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF ARGENTINA. 


should gradually increase. Restaurants, cafes, hotels, bars, and 
similar places offer a market for the sale of a large number of re¬ 
frigerators. 

Some competition has been met by the American ice boxes and 
refrigerators in a. domestic article turned out by the local carpenter 
shops and in a product which has been imported from Germany. 
Both the domestic-made boxes and those sent from Germany are 
cheaply constructed articles which do not give the service that is ob¬ 
tained from the better-made American ice boxes. Ice boxes and 
refrigerators of medium price find the best sale in Argentina. 

PORCH, LAWN, AND GARDEN FURNITURE. 

Previous to the war Argentina was a good market for porch, lawn, 
and garden furniture. The greatly increased cost of importing, the 
high prices, and the possibility of obtaining almost any needed ar¬ 
ticle from the domestic shops which because of good prices were en¬ 
couraged to manufacture them, have reduced the demand for im¬ 
ported goods of this kind. Porch and lawn furniture came princi¬ 
pally from England, Germany, and Austria and was usually made 
of cane from India. Some American furniture of this type was im¬ 
ported, but it is said by dealers that it did not compete with that 
bought from other countries. This was due largely to the styles, 
which were not suited to the market. The Austrian patterns seem 
to be preferred. 

American porch and lawn swings and couches fitted with a canopy 
should find a good market in Argentina if they are properly intro¬ 
duced. There are many city and country homes where such a con¬ 
venience would be welcomed. 

Wood furniture for the lawn and garden was imported in Smaller* 
quantities than that made of cane, owing to the fact that domestic 
manufacturers are able to produce it. Such furniture is now being 
made after European styles and under conditions which are advan¬ 
tageous ; the native woods which are used are valuable for this pur¬ 
pose because of their resistance to the climate. Only the very best 
grades of garden furniture are now imported and they have to meet 
the domestic competition. The furniture made in the country is not 
so artistically constructed, but it sells for 20 to 25 per cent less. 

A limited amount of iron furniture for the porch, lawn, and garden 
is used. The demand for it is gradually diminishing as the prefer¬ 
ence for wood and cane grows. 

REED, RATTAN, AND WILLOW FURNITURE. 

Very little of the best grades of American reed and rattan furni¬ 
ture has been offered to the Argentine market. As a rule it has been 
only the manufacturers of the cheaper class of goods who have sent 
their representatives to that country. Certain simple styles eniov a 
fair sale in competition with the English, Austrian, and local prod¬ 
ucts. In this line American manufacturers should obtain a good 
business. 1=5 

Usually the cheap grade of reed furniture is desired in suites of 
tour pieces consisting of a table, a settee, and two armchairs: and 
f 0r S^ lmes a U^ker is added. This grade of furniture sells for $50 
to $75 per suite of four to seven pieces. 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF ARGENTINA. 


35 


A large part of the reed and rattan furniture sold in Argentina is 
of English manufacture. It is more costly than that offered by the 
dealers handling the American product, but it is considered more at¬ 
tractive in design. It is constructed of well-selected reed, which is 
very evenly woven in its natural color and left unfinished. 

The demand is for reed furniture of plain but comfortable pat¬ 
terns. American manufacturers of high-grade furniture of this type, 
as well as those making artistic designs of rush fiber and other mate¬ 
rials, will be able to sell their product in Argentina if the prices are 
not too high. Willow furniture will find little demand in Argen¬ 
tina. The domestic manufacturers can produce it for prices that 
will compete with the cost of the imported product. 

The reed and rattan furniture market season opens in the spring, 
which begins in September. Stocks are desired on the floors of the 
dealers by that time. 

The great obstacle to the sale of this type of furniture in Argen¬ 
tina is the cost of importing it. Being of a bulky nature and of a 
type of construction which does not always admit of knock-down 
packing, this furniture always has a freight charge high in pro¬ 
portion to its initial cost. If manufacturers can devise some means 
of making reed and rattan furniture that would permit its being 
packed more economically, it would find a greater sale in Argentina. 

NOVELTIES AND ANTIQUES. 

Well-made novelties of good taste find a fair market in Argentina. 
Also, there has been a good demand for genuine antique furniture. 
At the outbreak of the war importation of all such articles was prac¬ 
tically cut off, and now that shipping can again be resumed no doubt 
there will be considerable interest shown in this line. 

METAL BEDS. 

While it is the custom among Argentine purchasers of high-grade 
furniture to buy a bedroom suite which includes a wooden bed, there 
are also many people who use brass and iron beds. Brass beds espe¬ 
cially seem to be in demand. During 1913 they were imported to the 
value of $96,504. Since that date the importations have fallen off 
because of restrictions brought about by the war and the improve¬ 
ment in the domestic product. 

The importations of brass beds during the period 1913 to 1917 are 
given in the following table: 


Countries of origin. 


Pounds. Value. 


Pounds. Value. 


Pounds. Value. 


Pounds. Value. 


Belgium. 

France. 

Germany. 

Italy. 

Spain. 

United Kingdom.. 

United States. 

All other countries 


878 

4,311 

16,973 

1,393 

1,353 

441,577 

22,350 

55 


8174 
857 
3,350 
275 
219 
87,161 
4,412 
10 


2,521 

1,716 

1,373 


8498 

339 

271 


95,667 
8,149 


18,884 

1,609 


200 
115,104 
21,043 


40 

22,720 

4,153 


323 

48,952 

7,040 

31 


488,920 


96,458 


109,426 


21,601 


136,624 


56,581 


64 

9,663 

1,390 


11,169 


Total 































36 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF ARGENTINA. 


It will be noted that Great Britain has been favored with most of 
the brass-bed business. During 1913, the last normal year of trade, 
this country was credited with 90 per cent of the total. The United 
States ranked second. 

There are several reasons why English brass beds have dominated 
the market. The manufacturers in that country were fortunate in 
being the first to establish themselves in the Argentine trade, and 
by offering a suitable product at fair prices they have been able to 
obtain a good part of the business. The styles offered by English 
manufacturers have met market demands. This can not be said of 
much of the American product that has been sent to Argentina in 
past years. A careful attempt should be made to furnish the exact 
market requirements. It is claimed also that the finish on American 
brass beds sent to Argentina has not been so durable as that of 
English makes. It is said that the Argentine climate, which is very 
changeable, is exceedingly destructive to the finish and that only the 
best materials will last. Dealers state that they have been able to 
obtain English brass beds delivered in Buenos Aires for less cost 
than that of a similar article from the United States. They claim 
that this is due to the fact that American brass beds are made of 
heavier tubing, which causes the duty to be more, it being assessed 
on the weight and not ad valorem. Also the freight charges on 
brass beds from England to Argentina have been less than from the 
United States to that country. 

Argentine purchasers of good brass beds are critical in their selec¬ 
tions. They demand a strong, well-designed, durably finished ar¬ 
ticle. Because of the lack of these qualities, a consignment ordered 
from an American factory by a large department store in Buenos 
Aires was rejected and returned. The l^-inch square posts with 
seven f-inch panel bars are most desired. The top railing may be 
either straight or curved. Beds decorated with Louis XVI trim¬ 
mings are greatly admired and are sought after by those who can 
afford to buy an expensive article. Round tubing is not liked by 
the majority of people and dealers carry very few beds of this pat¬ 
tern in stock. 

The most popular size is the single bed, 3 feet in width. These 
beds are usually purchased in pairs. Beds 4| feet in width are also 
purchased in fair numbers. Double beds and children’s cots and 
cribs are carried in stock and sell well. The average height of the 
flange for supporting the springs should be 14 inches from the floor. 
Springs are not imported in large numbers as they can be made by 
local bed manufacturers. 

The prices of imported brass beds offered for sale in Argentina 
vary according to the size and quality of the bed. Before the war 
they ranged from $40 up. During 1918 the prices were $50 to $240 
for a first-class bed. 

Most of the brass-bed business is done directly between the manu¬ 
facturers and dealers. Many of the small furniture houses which do 
not buy in sufficient quantities to justify importing obtain their stocks 
from the large importers who in these transactions act as jobbers. 
Previous to the war English brass-bed manufacturers sold largely 
at 90 days’ sight of documents. Such facts must not be overlooked 
by American exporters. 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF ARGENTINA. 


37 


While English manufacturers have obtained most of Argentina’s 
brass-bed trade, there is no reason to believe that American makers 
can not increase their share of this business if they cater to the 
market. The annual sales of imported brass beds in Argentina have 
been large, one department store alone buying a thousand beds 
annually. 

The Argentine manufacturers of brass beds are improving their 
product and increasing their output rapidly. One firm claims to be 
manufacturing 700 beds per month. While the general appearance 
of the native product is good it is considered faulty in construction 
and the finish is lacking in durability. Until a better article is made 
a large number of foreign-manufactured beds will continue to be 
imported. 

There is very little demand for imported iron beds. The native 
industries are now able to produce the ordinary type for prices which 
compete with the costs of imported ones. The duty, which is $0.0326 
per kilo, together with freight charges and other expenses on im¬ 
ported beds, makes them too costly in comparison with the domestic 
product, which is very well made. People who can afford to pur¬ 
chase other than iron beds usually pay enough and obtain brass ones; 
hence the trade, even in high-quality iron beds is not very important. 
The prices of iron beds manufactured in Argentina vary from $5.50 
to $50. Good wire springs sell for $5 to $9. 

During the war the trade in iron beds fell from import values in 
1913 amounting to almost $45,000 to a valuation of only about $10,600 
in 1917. The United Kingdom has maintained the lead in this trade. 
In 1913 Germany ranked second in the quantity furnished, but the 
United States took second place in estimated value of goods. Iron 
beds purchased by Argentina from the United States in 1913 and 1917 
were valued at approximately $6,000 and $4,300, respectively. It is 
believed that from now on the trade in foreign-made iron beds will 
not be important, owing to the growth of the local iron-bed industry. 

OTHER METAL FURNITURE. 

Considerable iron furniture of all kinds, such as chairs, tables, and 
washstands, has been imported by the Argentine furniture dealers 
and hardware men in past years, the demand for these articles hav¬ 
ing been great. But the rapid improvement in the domestic metal¬ 
working shops in recent years will certainly have an influence on 
this trade, and the importation of these articles will decrease. 

CHAIRS. 

The Argentine Republic is an excellent market for American and 
European chairs. Several thousand dozens of the cheap and medium 
grades are imported monthly. Because of the inability of the domestic 
furniture shops to manufacture them, owing to the lack of equipment 
and knowledge of the business, practically all the demands for chairs 
must be met by foreign producers. 

The outbreak of the war greatly increased prices, restricted ship¬ 
ping space, and cut off the source of a large part of the chair supply. 
This condition encouraged the manufacture of chairs in Argentina. 
In particular instances the domestic output is fairly well made. 
But the prices are high and it will be practically impossible for the 
product of the home industry to compete with the machine-made, 


38 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF ARGENTINA. 


nicely finished imported article which, in normal times, will sell for 
much less than is asked for chairs made in the country. It is certain 
that the market will again turn to former sources of supply as soon 
as they are available. 

Generally speaking there are two grades of chairs sold in Argen¬ 
tina, namely, the cheap and the medium priced. Some high-grade 
chairs are imported, but they are usually sold with other house furni¬ 
ture. 

The Vienna or Austrian bent-wood chairs have been more popular 
than any others. They are used in cafes, coffeehouses, restaurants, 
and in the homes of the people of the laboring class. Prior to 1914 
they could be purchased for approximately $16 to $18 per dozen to 
the consumer and were imported at the rate of 3,000 dozen per 
month. The Vienna chairs came nicely finished in dark brown, 
black, and natural wood colors. They were shipped knocked down, 
packed three dozen in a box. At present chairs of this type are 
much in demand as the stocks have run very low. Since the out¬ 
break of the war Spanish manufacturers of bent-wood chairs have 
entered the market. Their product, however, can not compare with 
the Austrian make in either price or quality. A few bent-wood 
chairs have been imported from Canada, but because of the inferior 
quality they were not purchased in large numbers. 

American cheap chairs have found a good market in this country. 
Those known as the Grecian, decorated with designs pressed on the 
back, have sold in large numbers. This type of chair has been pur¬ 
chased for $6.50 to $7 f. o. b. New York. At least 4,000 dozen chairs 
of this quality were imported monthly before the war. They are in 
demand in two colors, natural wood and dark oak. Such chairs 
should be given a good coat of varnish and packed knocked down, 
three or four dozen in a box. The duty charged on this type of 
chair is approximately $2.50 United States currency per dozen. 

Adjustable, cheap, high-chairs for babies, decorated with the Grecian 
stamped design and fitted with small metal wheels, have found a 
ready sale in Argentina. The price paid for such chairs before 1914 
was $22 to $24 United States currency per dozen. They are liked 
in both natural and dark oak colors, and should be packed knocked 
down, one-half dozen in a case. The market will consume at least 
300 dozen baby high-chairs per month. 

Argentina offers a good market for chairs of medium grade, which 
before the war sold for $25 gold per dozen f. o. b. New York. The 
style with the fan-shaped back has been popular for office use. Those 
with quartered oak finish and closely woven cane seats possibly have 
been most preferred. Approximately 1,000 dozen medium-grade oak 
chairs can be sold monthly in the Argentine Republic. The duty 
on this type of chair is approximately 47 per cent on a fixed valuation, 
which is at present 25 pesos gold ($24.12 United States currency) 
per dozen. The above-mentioned quality of chair is very largely 
sold in suites of seven pieces, consisting of one sofa, two armchairs, 
and four ordinary chairs, for use in offices and waiting rooms. Pos¬ 
sibly 100 suites of this kind can be sold monthly in Argentina. 

Rocking chairs are not so generally used in Argentina as in the 
United States; hence their sale in the first-mentioned country is 
limited. A few cheap rockers with cane seats are sold. They are 
desired packed knocked down, one or two dozen in a case. 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF ARGENTINA. 


39 


OFFICE FURNITURE. 

Of the total quantity of furniture imported by Argentina from 
the United 'States a very small percentage was house furniture. At 
least three-quarters of a million dollars was spent for office and pub¬ 
lic-building furniture in 1913. Argentina ranks high among foreign 
markets for office furniture, and there are possibilities of its becom¬ 
ing one of the most valuable outlets for the American industry. 

American manufacturers of office equipment have firmly estab¬ 
lished themselves in the Argentine market. They now enjoy the 
reputation of having designed the most practical and efficient type 
of furniture for office use, and as yet no European manufacturer 
has been able to offer a style that is so well liked. American manu¬ 
facturers have competed with European firms for many years, and 
have done much to prove that United States factories can turn out 
products of the highest class. 

It may be safely stated that Argentina will be a growing market 
for office furniture. The day of the small, dark, back room equipped 
with a table and a few chairs is past and modern offices are increas¬ 
ing in number. The practical ideas of business that are entering 
Argentina along with European and American capital, and the 
interest the native business men are showing in up-to-date methods, 
are certain to increase the demand for modern office equipment. 

There has been some stagnation in the sale of imported office fur¬ 
niture in the last three or four years owing to the financial crisis 
that came upon the country shortly before the outbreak of the war. 
The fall of land values, poor crops, and the war have had a detri¬ 
mental effect upon the finances of the country, and business men 
have not purchased new office equipment in quantities such as they 
would have bought if conditions had been more favorable. 

During the war period dealers in American office furniture dis¬ 
posed of their stocks and it has been almost impossible to secure 
enough furniture of one style and color to equip a small office. 
There has been a great shortage in office chairs, desks, and even cor¬ 
respondence files. High freight rates, shipping difficulties, and in¬ 
ability of dealers to obtain new stock have given the domestic shops 
an opportunity to offer a product which has been competing in 
price with furniture imported from the United States. But the 
quality is only fair or medium, and when commerce is reestablished 
and freight rates are reduced the competition of the domestic fur¬ 
niture will tend to disappear. 


DESKS. 

The American office desk has captured this market, and there ^re 
very few business men who will have anything else. The roll-top 
as well as the flat-top desk with sanitary pedestals is purdiased, 
but not to the same extent as those of the more modern type. The 
low roll-top desks are preferred to those of the extremely high style. 
They are popular in both medium and large sizes. The medium- 
size, single, flat-top desk is largely purchased by business men, and 
the double flat-top desk, 4 by 5 feet, is favored by lawyers and other 
professional men. Desks of medium to good grades are most profit¬ 
able to import. 


40 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF ARGENTINA. 


Typewriter desks with the folding inclosure for the machine lo¬ 
cated in the center of the top are in demand and in normal times 
will sell well. 

During the last few months of the war it was practically impos¬ 
sible to find a dozen office desks of the same size and color for sale 
in Buenos Aires. An investigation has disclosed the fact that there 
was possibly not one flat-top desk with typewriter attachment in¬ 
closed in the pedestal for sale. One dealer stated that he could 
readily dispose of at least 1,000 office desks if he had them. An¬ 
other firm had asked its United States factory to ship it an order 
of 40 office desks immediately, regardless of freight charges. 

The medium grade of office desk is most suited to the trade in 
Argentina. High-priced desks become too expensive by the time 
they reach the dealer’s floors. A flat-top desk 60 by 48 inches in size, 
with sanitary pedestals, retails for $75 to $150, and a roll-top desk 
measuring 66 by 54 inches sells for $125 to $250. 

When the war brought about difficulties in importing desks the 
domestic shops manufactured them for prices which, in many in¬ 
stances, were cheaper than those of the imported article. But good 
service and durability are lacking in these desks; the woods are un¬ 
seasoned and the veneers are not properly put on. In general they 
are not so good as a third or fourth grade American desk. For 
buyers who are more interested in price than durability of furniture 
these desks will serve, but one desiring a good article will look for 
something better. Without doubt American manufacturers of office 
desks will find a good market for their product in Argentina when 
conditions again become normal. 

OFFICE CHAIRS. 

The American swivel chair has become very popular and almost 
every office is equipped with one or several of them. Both the closely 
woven cane and solid-wood seats are used, but the latter style is pre¬ 
ferred. The native shops have tried to make this type of chair, but 
it was discovered that the imported article is cheaper and better. As 
a result domestic competition will not be important in this line. 
Imported chairs could be purchased for $60 and up per dozen, 
United States currency, before the war. They should be packed 
knocked down, one dozen in a case. The iron parts should be 
shipped in a separate case. Unless new shipments have succeeded in 
reaching Buenos Aires recently, but very few of these chairs are to 
be found on the market. At present the prices are exceedingly high. 
Argentina will use at least 300 swivel desk-chairs per month when 
shipping conditions and prices are normal. 

Typewriter chairs have not been bought so extensively as revolv¬ 
ing desk-chairs. It has been the custom in many offices to use the 
lighter makes, such as the Austrain bent-wood or the American 
standard oak chair for stenographers. However, it is thought by 
chair dealers that the demand for the American typewriter chair 
will increase. 

Chairs of all types for the Argentine market should be well fin¬ 
ished. Care should be taken that they are not packed until the var¬ 
nish has thoroughly dried. The cases should be strongly made and 
well lined with moisture-proof paper. As a rule dealers do not wish 


Special Agents Series No. 183. 


« 



FIG. 6.—OFFICE FURNITURE MADE AND INSTALLED BY AN ENGLISH FIRM IN ARGENTINA. 






























Special Agents Series No. 1-83. 



FIG. 7—OFFICE FURNITURE MADE BY LOCAL SHOPS IN BUENOS AIRES. 

Retail prices in United States currency are: Roll-top desk, $68; bookcase, $78; filing cabinet, $52; revolving chair, $31.50, All of this furniture is made of imported 

American white oak. 
























FURNITURE MARKETS OF ARGENTINA. 


41 


more than 4 dozen chairs packed in a case. Their customers in 
different parts of the country purchase small quantities, and cases 
containing more than 4 dozen chairs are not convenient, as they must 
be opened and the chairs repacked, which results in additional labor 
and cost to the importer. Chairs are usually desired with cane seats. 
Approximately 80 per cent of all ordinary chairs imported by Ar¬ 
gentina are fitted with cane seats. They may be of either the close 
or open weave. 

The stocks of chairs of all kinds were greatly depleted during the 
war, and when prices become stable and shipping conditions are 
again favorable the American chair manufacturers may expect large 
orders for their product from Argentina. 

* FILING DEVICES AND CARD INDEXES. 

American correspondence files and card-index systems have found 
a much better market in Argentina than in any country on the west 
coast of South America. The influence of American and European 
business methods has had a good effect in creating a market for this 
class of office furniture. Many native business men have readily 
recognized the advantages of time and labor saving devices and 
there will be a gradual increase in the demand for correspondence 
files and card-index systems. There are still some difficulties to be 
overcome before all kinds of filing devices will be adopted. Many 
firms must be trained to use them and to see the advantages in modern 
systems. The clerical help knows nothing of up-to-date methods, 
and although the director or manager of a firm may realize that he 
can more economically carry on his business by use of efficient equip¬ 
ment he is helpless because his subordinates are not able to use it. 
Considerable educative propaganda ihust be carried on and the 
busines men taught modern methods before the American manufac¬ 
turers can expect to do a large trade in this line. 

The Argentine Government, as well as some private concerns, 
maintains commercial schools where young men are trained for busi¬ 
ness. It might prove a very valuable investment for the office 
furniture manufacturers to equip some of these schools free of 
charge and pay part or all of the salary of a well-trained instructor 
to teach the use of modern office equipment. Such a method would 
no doubt relieve the present difficulty of finding adequately trained 
junior members and office clerks who know anything about modern 
filing systems. Possibly free scholarships and living expenses pro¬ 
vided by the manufacturers to a certain number of Argentine young 
men who would be willing to take up commercial courses in the 
United States would have the desired effect on the sale of office 
furniture to Argentina’s future business men. 

The Argentine law requires that many of the books, papers, and 
documents used in business be registered or “rubricated” by the 
judge of the district if they are to be of value in case of legal pro¬ 
ceedings. This law applies to bookkeepers’ cashbooks and journals 
and to business letters and other documents which must be rubri¬ 
cated or stamped by the official appointed to do this work. It is be¬ 
cause of the existence of this law that the copy-book system of filing 
letters is used. The general effect of this custom on the sale of mod¬ 
ern filing equipment is not thought by dealers to be very pronounced. 


42 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF ARGENTINA. 


Merchants ancl other business men, as a rule, desire to keep most of 
their corespondence. That which is very important and might 
need protection is put into the copybook, while the remainder, of 
less importance, is filed in some other manner. Many firms have 
adopted American files as the most convenient device for filing a 
large part of their correspondence. 

Several kinds and sizes of filing cabinets are in use, but the ordi¬ 
nary four-drawer, horizontal, wooden cabinets in correspondence and 
legal sizes seem to be preferred. 

Card-index systems are used, and the demand for card-filing cases 
is growing. Several styles are now offered for sale, the one, two, and 
four drawer sizes being most desired. Cards measuring 3 by 5, 4 bv 
6, and 5 by 8 inches are purchased, but those 4 by 6 inches are in 
greatest demand. Some criticism has been made of the lettering on 
index systems which have been furnished by the manufacturers of 
card files. It is claimed that the English alphabet with its several 
combinations does not entirely suit the Spanish language. Some 
native dealers have devised their own systems, which they have had 
printed locally. 

Besides the correspondence and card-index files, other types, such 
as the box-drawer sections for storage purposes, are desired. A 
popular size is that of 9-drawer sections, each drawer of which meas¬ 
ures 9| by 3f by 15 inches inside. Another size is that of sections 
containing 15 box drawers, each of which lias inside measurements of 
approximately 9^ by 2 by 15 inches. These particular styles are suit¬ 
able for invoice filings. For a certain class of business men who do 
not require a large filing space of any one particular kind or size, a 
combination of half-sections consisting of correspondence space, 
card-index boxes and other sections for the storing of paper and 
supplies, is desirable. These sections could be combined into one 
convenient stack. 

The demand for filing systems of various kinds has slowly in¬ 
creased in Argentina in the last few years and future business pros¬ 
pects look promising. But a very short time ago American filing 
systems were unknown in that country. Now many are in use and 
many more will be purchased by the native firms arid by the Ameri¬ 
can and other foreign business men who will open branch houses in 
Argentina in the near future. One important American manufac¬ 
turer of filing systems reports that his Argentine business was near¬ 
ing the $100,000 mark in the last year of normal trade before the 
war. 

SECTIONAL BOOKCASES. 

Sectional bookcases have found a good market in Argentina. Busi¬ 
ness men like the sectional idea. They can purchase additional parts 
as they need them, and space in their offices is not taken up by any 
excess furniture which is not in use. Some sectional bookcases are 
produced in native shops, but they do not meet with the approval 
of most buyers. Besides costing as much as the imported article they 
do not give equal service, and, like most other native-made furniture, 
can not be entirely relied upon. 

When sending sectional bookcases to this market manufacturers 
should provide one section with wooden doors, preferably at the bot¬ 
tom. This is desirable owing to the fact that many business men 


FURNITURE! MARKETS OF ARGENTINA. 


43 


have some books bound in paper covers which, when used, soon be¬ 
come ragged, soiled, and unsightly. An inclosed section is desirable 
to hold such books, inasmuch as the average business man is very 
sensitive about the appearance of his office. It is particularly desir¬ 
able that the lower part be of greater dimensions than the others in 
order to provide space for large books. Such a section should be at 
least 16 to 18 inches in depth by the same dimension in height. 
Every case is desired fitted with a sanitary or closed base in order to 
avoid one’s having to stoop over considerably to reach the bottom 
section. 

METAL OFFICE FURNITURE. 

There has been a growing interest in metal office furniture, and 
without doubt with proper handling it would find a good market 
in Argentina. That there is less interest in this line than in wooden 
furniture results from the fact that most of the representatives of 
American manufacturers have not, until recently, given metal furni¬ 
ture the attention that it deserves. 

One argument that is used against steel furniture is that the 
climate of Argentina is not one that necessitates the use of metal 
equipment as does that of Brazil and other more tropical countries. 
Argentina is not infested with wood-destroying insects nor is the 
climate especially hard on wood furniture. However, it may be 
pointed out that steel furniture is popular in the United States and 
other countries where the climate in many places is more or less the 
same as Argentina. 

Another consideration is that steel furniture has a tendency to 
be cold, and in the wintertime it is especially disagreeable in offices 
which are not heated. The scarcity of fuel makes the heating* of 
buildings very expensive and many offices are cold. Under such con¬ 
ditions metal furniture is not so agreeable as that made of wood. 
It is thought that in time this objection will gradually disappear, as 
more precaution is being taken to provide heat in the new office 
buildings. 

Steel office furniture can be sold in Argentina and a well-directed. 
effort to place it on the market will succeed. A year or two before 
the outbreak of the war a representative of an American manu¬ 
facturer of steel equipment had considerable success in placing his 
line in the offices of several business houses. The Railroad Clearing 
House and the Banco de La Nacion are supplied with a large amount 
of it, and one of the important English banks is fitted throughout 
with metal furniture. It has given good service and is well liked. 
Many American concerns have purchased steel furniture and an ap¬ 
preciable amount is now being used by native firms. 

In spite of present prices, which are exceedingly high, one house 
reports a continual demand for steel files and card-index cases. 
Without doubt an important business could be done in steel furni¬ 
ture, now that it is introduced; but there is still much missionary 
work and educative propaganda necessary before it will be generally 
adopted. As it has a somewhat higher initial cost than wood furni¬ 
ture its sale will be just so much restricted, as at present Argentina 
is largely a price market rather than a quality market. This fea¬ 
ture couid most likely be overcome by proper salesmanship. 


44 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF ARGENTINA. 


American manufacturers will find practically no competition in 
the field of metal office furniture. There are one or two native firms 
which have made some metal letter files for the banks, but the files 
proved to be very expensive and do not give satisfactory service. 
The trade prefers the easy-working and better-finished American 
file, and domestic manufacturers will not be able to compete when 
freight rates are lower. One or two European manufacturers have 
endeavored to introduce their products, but up to the present time 
the trade has preferred the more practical office furniture from the 
United States. 

Argentina should be a market of considerable importance to 
steel office-furniture manufacturers in normal times, and it is be¬ 
lieved a good business is to be obtained through installing corre¬ 
spondence files, book and document safes, shelving, desks, etc., in 
railroad offices, banks, commercial houses, law offices, libraries, mu¬ 
nicipal offices, and Government buildings. Very few of these places 
have any modern office equipment and they should be a source of a 
fair amount of business for manufacturers who will systematically 
and energetically set about to introduce their product. Up to the 
present time no well-directed effort has been made to interest the 
Argentine business men in modern steel office facilities and the 
country is practically a virgin field for this line of goods. 

PUBLIC-BUILDING FURNITURE. 

MUNICIPAL AND GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS. 

The Argentine Government has been a source of a considerable 
amount of trade in American furniture, especially that for use in 
offices, and there is every reason to believe that this business will 
continue, if not increase. A large number of office desks, type¬ 
writer tables, chairs, and a few filing cabinets have been purchased 
from the local dealers. Modern filing systems have not been adopted 
in many of the Government departments. ' If the manufacturers, 
through their dealers, could induce Government officials to adopt 
more modern methods, much business in office equipment would be 
created. 

The National Government is badly in need of new and better 
buildings for a number of its departments. When these are built 
there will be a need for a large amount of good furniture. 

Municipal buildings in the larger centers of Argentina are fur¬ 
nished to a limited extent with American office equipment. How¬ 
ever, the greater number of the chairs used are the Austrian product, 
while many of the tables, cabinets, etc., are made locally. 

Both the National and the municipal Governments of the country 
have been slow to adopt modern business methods and equipment, 
and a considerably greater effort will be required on the part of 
the dealer in placing orders with them than with most commercial 
houses. 

PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 

Without doubt Argentina has one of the best public-school sys¬ 
tems in South America. Primary instruction is free, being sub¬ 
sidized by the National and provincial Governments, and is com- 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF ARGENTINA. 


45 


pulsory for children from 6 to 14 years of age. In 1915 there were 
7,810 primary schools with an aggregate enrollment of 928,000 
pupils, 108 secondary and normal schools with 45,642 students, 140 
special institutes with 30,642 students, and 5 universities with 7,575 
students. Official statistics for 1914 show that 616 out of every 
1,000 persons over 6 years of age are able to read. There are yet 
in Argentina 400,000 children of school age for whom no educational 
advantages have been provided. The Government is making a great 
effort to increase the number of its elementary schools. 

In 1915 the budget for the promotion of education called for more 
than $50,000,000 and was one-tenth of the entire national budget. 
From $50,000 to $60,000 is the minimum spent annually for school 
seats, and in some years when other school equipment is purchased 
the total business amounts to $150,000. This indicates that Argen¬ 
tina is a good market for the sale of school seats, and a very satis¬ 
factory business is being done by the American manufacturers of 
this line through local agents who represent them in Buenos Aires. 
There seems to be a good future for this business. Interior cities 
and Provinces will need a greater number of desks each year, and 
the Government is building new schools as rapidly as possible. 

The native shops are just beginning to manufacture school seats, 
but it is not thought that the American manufacturers will meet 
with serious competition from this source. All of the materials must 
be imported, which is a great disadvantage to the native manu¬ 
facturer. 

School seats are purchased by the Government from firms in 
Buenos Aires which represent American manufacturers. Consid¬ 
erable capital is necessary on the part of the agent in selling seats 
to the Government; for, while payments are sure they are often 
delayed. Besides school seats, the Argentine Republic occasionally 
purchases seats with cast-iron bases and armchairs for lecture rooms, 
cheap desks for instructors, and other school furniture. 

The demand for furniture to be used in industrial schools is very 
limited. Practically all such requirements are met locally. Manual¬ 
training and domestic-science courses are not offered in the elemen¬ 
tary and high schools in Argentina as they are in the United States; 
hence there is no demand for equipment for shops or domestic-science 
laboratories. But there is a good demand for single and double desks 
with pressed-steel frames, which the domestic shops can not make. 

THEATERS. 

The Argentine Republic offers a fair market for the sale of 
theater seats. In normal times from 6 to 8 new theaters are built 
each year. These, together with the small motion-picture halls, call 
for several thousand seats annually. At least 95 per cent of the 
theater seats used are imported. There are a few made in the coun¬ 
try, the metal parts of which are imported. Many of the small 
cheap theaters are furnished with a domestic product made entirely 
of wood. 

Competition of the domestic shops will not greatly influence the 
sale of imported theater seats. The local manufacturers are not able 
to make a seat which will compare in price or quality with those 
obtained abroad. 


46 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF ARGENTINA. 


American firms will meet very little competition from foreign 
manufacturers of theater seats. The cheap Austrian bent-wood 
theater chair is the only make that has been imported in quantities 
that are at all comparable to those purchased from the United States. 
Two or three theaters have been equipped by European houses, but 
the seats were imported from American firms. 

The type of seat which sells best is that of medium grade, with 
metal frame and wooden back and seat. Such a seat sells for about 
$2. Theater seats are usually imported through commission houses 
or local dealers who sell school seats, chairs, and other furniture. 

HOTELS, CLUBS, RESTAURANTS, AND STORES. 

The fine hotels and clubs of Argentina have provided a market for 
a considerable amount of imported furniture, the greater part of 
which has been obtained from European manufacturers. That the 
furniture was ordered from Europe was due largely to the fact that 
European firms have their branch houses and representatives in the 
country. 

Some of the most important places in Buenos Aires which have 
been equipped with furniture purchased abroad are the Jockey Club, 
the Plaza Hotel, the Palace Hotel, and the Savoy Hotel. It has been 
stated that the furniture in the new Savoy Hotel, which was sold by 
an English house, cost $175,000. There are a number of small hotels 
and clubs in Argentina outside of Buenos Aires, but they will offer 
very little or no market for. the sale of imported furniture, as prac¬ 
tically all of the equipment for the less pretentious places is made 
in the country. 

As yet the quick-lunch rooms run on the American plan are un¬ 
known in Argentina and there has been no demand for imported 
restaurant furniture. The patrons of restaurants are seated at small 
tables which are usually made locally. The chairs in most cases are 
of the Austrian bent-wood type and are imported for a very low cost. 
Until some progressive person introduces into Argentina the modern 
North American restaurant, which should be successful from the be¬ 
ginning, there will be no demand for American restaurant furniture. 

There are several large department stores in the country, three or 
four of which in Buenos Aires would be a credit to any American 
city. To a very large degree the fixtures in these stores were made 
locally by an English firm of London which has established a branch 
shop in Buenos Aires. Whether American manufacturers of store 
fixtures will be able to compete with this firm will depend largely 
upon the facilities they have for obtaining the business, and the price 
of their product laid down in the country. It will be necessary to 
-keep in the field a representative who is thoroughly prepared to offer 
suggestions on proposed equipments, and make plans for fixtures for 
new buildings, and prepare estimates. A very large part of the busi¬ 
ness to be obtained will be on special work, which will make it diffi¬ 
cult for the American manufacturer to compete with the producers 
in the local shops. But there is in Argentina a considerable market 
for standard equipment, such as show cases, counters, and shelving, 
and the American manufacturers should obtain a fair proportion of 
this business if they are prepared to enter the field in the proper 
manner. 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF ARGENTINA. 


47 


BILLIARD HALLS. 

Argentina offers practically no market for imported billiard tables. 
Several domestic manufacturers turn out tables which compete in 
price with imported ones. The largest manufacturer of billiard 
tables in the United States has been forced to open his own shops in 
Buenos Aires, where he employs from 40 to 50 workmen to manufac¬ 
ture tables for the Argentine trade. A part of the product of the 
factory is sold in Uruguay. There are at least a dozen other fac¬ 
tories in Buenos Aires. 

It is said that there are approximately 900 billiard tables in use in 
Buenos Aires. The popular types are the ordinary billiard table 
and the English pocket table. While the native Argentinian likes to 
play billiards, the young men are not so interested in the game as 
Americans are. They have very few tournaments, and it is said that 
there is less appreciation of the fine points of the game and of its 
technic among the Argentinians than is usually found among players 
in the United States. As the game develops it may be that the sale 
of tables will increase. 

Materials for the manufacture of billiard tables and supplies for 
billiard halls are largely purchased from European dealers, who seem 
to have been able to sell their products in Argentina much more 
cheaply than the Americans. 

BARBER SHOPS. 

Argentina may be considered a fair market for the sale of im¬ 
ported barber chairs, and there is reason to believe that this business 
will increase. There is a great need for more modern and ^ hygienic 
methods in the barber business of Argentina, and there is now a 
movement on to pass laws which will compel all owners to improve 
their shops and methods. If such a law is passed and enforced, 
there will be a great demand for American barber equipment. 

According to the Argentine Government statistics there were m 
1914 in Buenos Aires 1,932 barber shops employing 3,104 persons. 
The capital invested was $1,179,435 and the annual business 
amounted to $3,309,860. ... . 

There are all kinds and grades of barber chairs in use in Argen¬ 
tina from the most uncomfortable, homemade, wooden style to the 
latest American product. The greater part of the better grade or 
chairs is purchased in the United States. Some very cheap chairs 
have been imported from Europe and are used mostly by the sec¬ 
ond-class shops. Most of the first-class barber shops are equipped 
with American chairs. The white enameled, cane-upholstered chairs 
are very popular among the better class of barbers, and it is thought 
that an increasing business will be done in this type of chair. 

The domestic manufacturers are beginning to make barber chairs. 
In one instance a well-known American chair is being copied to 
the least detail with the exception of the name of the original 
manufacturer, and unless American firms are careful to have their 
trade-marks and patents registered in Argentina they will be caused 
endless trouble, 

HOSPITALS. 

It is very doubtful if the American manufacturers of hospital 
furniture will be able to obtain much business in Argentina. 


48 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF ARGENTINA. 


There are at present two or three local firms manufacturing good 
hospital equipment. Previous to the war they imported their ma¬ 
terials largely from Europe and were able to make good hospital 
furniture for practically the same or but little higher prices than 
those asked for the imported product. The illustrations in figure 9 
show what can be done in this line in Argentina, and unless the 
manufacturers can place in that country as good or better hospital 
furniture for a less price than is asked by the local factories, there 
is little opportunity to enter the market. It should be noted, how¬ 
ever, that there is a possibility of selling surgical instruments and 
materials for the manufacture of hospital furniture. 


Special Agents Series No. 183. 



FIG. 8.—PERMANENT EXHIBIT OF NATIVE-MADE FURNITURE IN BUENOS AIRES. 




















Special Agents Series No. 183. 





FIG. 9.—EXAMPLES OF HOSPITAL FURNITURE MADE IN ARGENTINA. 














Y. MARKET FOR MATERIALS FOR MANUFACTURE OF 
FURNITURE. 

MATERIALS FOR MAKING IRON FURNITURE. 

Producers of materials used in the manufacture of metal beds and 
other metal furniture should find Argentina an attractive market. 
There are several establishments making metal furniture in that 
country and the total amount of material used is large. One native 
manufacturer is said to be producing 700 beds per month and is now 
using daily from 600 to 700 meters of tubing of various sizes. Most of 
this material is square tubing which has been purchased largely in 
England. American brass tubing is criticized as not being as good in 
quality as that purchased of the British manufacturers and as tend¬ 
ing to be too heavy. Since the duty on this material is assessed ac¬ 
cording to weight, tubing of maximum strength and minimum 
weight per meter is desired. No doubt the American manufacturers 
of brass-bed tubing will be able to satisfy the Argentine buyers if 
close attention is given to the trade demands and good qualities are 
offered for the least possible price. The Argentine brass-bed manu¬ 
facturers have recently purchased a trial order of 600 tons of brass 
tubing in the United States and it is hoped it will prove satisfactory 
in every respect. 

Argentina is also an attractive market for materials for the manu¬ 
facture of iron beds and other iron furniture. One of the largest 
iron-furniture manufacturing plants of Buenos Aires, which covers 
an area of 63,000 square feet, is said to have an output of 5,000 beds 
per month. The owner estimates that he uses 400 to 500 tons of 
tubing annually. Also, it is estimated that 1,000 tons of bars, angles, 
and other shapes of various sizes are purchased annually by this firm. 
In normal times this plant employs 280 workmen to manufacture 
iron beds, chairs, tables, and hospital and garden furniture. Most of 
the materials consumed are purchased in the United States. 

OTHER MATERIALS. 

As indicated in preceding pages, practically all the hardwoods 
used in the domestically manufactured furniture must be imported. 
There is also, as mentioned previously, opportunity to sell materials 
for the manufacture of hospital furniture. If American dealers 
could compete in price with the European suppliers of materials for 
the manufacture of billiard-hall equipment they could doubtless do 
some business in this market. 


120314°—19-4 


49 



VI. TRADE METHODS AND SUGGESTIONS. 

MARKETING THE DOMESTIC PRODUCT. 

A large part of the furniture business under native supervision in 
Argentina is carried on directly between the manufacturer and the 
consumer. This is especially noticeable in the larger cities among the 
producers of the better class of goods, although many of the shops 
have their retail stores either in connection with the factory or on 
one of the principal streets. In some cases the manufacturer, as well 
as the retailer, offers to ship furniture to the interior parts of the 
country, and it is not infrequent that the sender advertises to pay 
transportation costs within a certain limit on a given amount of 
furniture. Argentina, unlike the west-coast countries of South 
America, is fortunate in possessing an excellent railway system 
which reaches all important sections of the country and over which 
the products of its industries may be shipped to the various cities and 
towns. 

Many furniture dealers do not own their own shops, but contract 
with owners of small shops who employ from 1 to 10, or even more, 
workmen to make whatever is ordered by the dealer. In most cases 
the dealer supplies the designs and not infrequently all the material. 
This was especially true in 1914 when, due to the cessation of build¬ 
ing operations, many of the carpenters who were thrown out of work 
opened small furniture shops. 

FURNITURE AUCTIONS. 

Much of the cheap furniture is sold through “ remates ” or auction 
houses. This class of furniture is made by the less-skilled workmen 
who have no other means of disposing of their product. The furni¬ 
ture is put up at auction to sell for whatever it will bring over the 
cost and a small profit to the man who made it and the auction house 
which sells it. Buenos Aires and other cities of Argentina have 
many of these auction houses which handle a very cheap, poorly 
constructed article. 

When the war cut off the importation of furniture many dealers 
were forced to turn their attention to the native product, which was 
the only thing obtainable. They selected the best of the native-made 
furniture copied from foreign designs and sold it, in many cases, as 
the imported product. Some dealers claimed they were forced to do 
this because many of their customers would not buy locally made 
furniture if it were sold as such. One dealer went so far as to say 
that the people in Buenos Aires, at times, despised the economizing 
of a few hundred pesos in order to satisfy their capricious vanities. 

FURNITURE EXHIBITS. 

That the product of the domestic furniture shops was not at first 
received with favor by the clientele of many dealers was brought to 
the attention of the Minister of Agriculture and Industries of the 
50 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF ARGENTINA. 


51 


Argentine Government, who immediately advised the holding of a 
national furniture show. This exhibition was held in February, 
1918, when many of the manufacturers of Buenos Aires exhibited 
some of their best work. Argentina’s first furniture show proved 
to be a revelation to the general public, which had not, up to that 
time, taken very much interest in the native-made product. 

The furniture manufacturers were so elated over the success of 
the exhibit that many of them who had no retail rooms or exhibit 
space through which to sell their product decided to organize a co¬ 
operative association in order to get their furniture before the pub¬ 
lic. This was done, and with the aid of the Federal Government 
which gave them some assistance, they obtained two floors of a large 
down-town building on one of the best street corners of Buenos 
Aires. Here a large permanent exhibit of furniture, as is shown in 
figure 8, is now being held where people may go and order what 
they desire. Most of the furniture purchased through the exhibit 
rooms must be made to order inasmuch as the manufacturers keep 
very little or none in stock. This results in the customer’s having 
to wait several weeks for his furniture as well as his having to pay 
high prices to cover the greater costs of such a manufacturing sys¬ 
tem. 

ENTERING THE MARKET. 

How best to enter the Argentine furniture market is one of the 
most important problems the manufacturers for export will have to 
solve. The success they have in getting their product before the 
people and the rapidity of the increase in business will depend 
largely upon the amount of interest and real effort they give to the 
introduction and the sale of their goods. 

NEED OF CARE IN CHOOSING REPRESENTATIVES. 

Up to the present time the American office-furniture manufactur¬ 
ers, as a rule, have given Argentina but secondary consideration. 
Some of them in their eagerness to obtain representatives who were 
able to pay cash down in New York before the shipments were made, 
seemingly have been content to appoint as their agents firms which, 
through the want of experience in and knowledge of the business, or 
their too deep interest in pushing other and entirely unrelated lines, 
are not able properly to handle the trade. 

In one instance a dealer has been representing a well-known Amer¬ 
ican manufacturer for several years, but up to the present time has 
made no special effort through attractive advertising or sales cam¬ 
paigns to interest the business men of the city in modern office 
facilities. He employs but one special salesman to care for the trade 
he is able to secure in a city of 1,750,000 inhabitants. His place of 
business is on a side street in a part of the city where business men 
very seldom pass and in a location which is not in the least advan¬ 
tageous for the sale of the line. 

A certain European firm in Buenos Aires has been importing 
American office equipment and selling it under the name of its house. 
In this way the United States manufacturers possibly do not receive 
full credit from the public for the furniture they produce. 


52 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF ARGENTINA. 


One or two other firms which have represented some of the best 
American manufacturers have the most desirable locations, the best 
assortments of furniture, and offer the most attractive prices; but 
these firms were strongly pro-German and were on the black list 
during the war. 

ADVISABILITY OF ESTABLISHING BRANCH HOUSES. 

The American office-furniture business of Argentina has been 
largely in the hands of European representatives—a fact which 
should not be gratifying to the manufacturers. Such an arrange¬ 
ment will not result in a greatly increased future business. The 
furniture has sold exceedingly well, but the success has been due more 
to its own self-evident merits than to any specially effective methods 
used by those who had it for sale. It was extensively used because 
it was recognized as the best and most practical on the market. Had 
it met with as keen competition from European manufacturers as 
did the American house furniture, the statistics of the importation 
of office furniture into Argentina would not be so favorable to the 
United States as they are. 

If the American manufacturers hope to create in the Argentine 
Republic a large and growing market for office furniture it will be 
absolutely necessary for them to give more attention to the matter 
of proper representation. If they are, as yet, unprepared to push 
the sales of their product in that country through the means of their 
own organization, it will be essential for them to secure as their 
agents local firms, preferably American, which are able and willing 
energetically and intelligently to handle their business. Also, the 
American manufacturers must expect to give their, representatives 
unstinted cooperation and, if need be, special trade facilities in order 
to enable them properly and successfully to push their lines. Only 
through the right kind of representation and much assistance on the 
part of the manufacturers will American office furniture play an 
increasingly important part in the business life of Argentina. 

EXPENSES CONNECTED WITH ENTERING THE MARKET. 

An effective endeavor on the part of American manufacturers to 
secure a larger share of the Argentine furniture trade will necessa¬ 
rily be made at a great expense. They must be prepared to spend 
thousands of dollars annually for two or three years before they 
can hope to realize a paying business. Any half-hearted, timid at¬ 
tempt to establish a future furniture trade in Buenos Aires will 
surely meet with but little encouragement, if not with complete 
failure. The success of a venture will depend largely upon the 
quality of the furniture and the attractiveness of the display the 
manufacturers are able and willing to make. An American estab¬ 
lishment should not be inferior in any respect to that of the best 
European houses which have in Buenos Aires stores and exhibits of 
stocks possibly equal in quality to any in the United States. The 
Argentine purchasers of good furniture are accustomed to the best 
Europe produces, and, in order to attract that trade, an American 
store must carry a stock which would compare favorably with that 
of any other furniture in the city. 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF ARGENTINA. 


53 


Not only must furniture of excellent quality be carried, but the 
proper business location must be obtained. A side-street policy 
should not be considered for a moment. A first-class furniture store 
for Buenos Aires should be located in the center of the city where 
the greatest number of purchasers come to shop. 

Bent charges for the most desirable locations are very high. 
Some idea may be gathered from the fact that one American shoe 
firm pays an annual rental of $15,120 gold for a store containing ap¬ 
proximately 4,000 square feet of working area. Another very desirable 
building on the corner of one of the best business streets rents for 
$36,000 annually. This building is five stories high and has a total 
floor space of 15,000 square feet. This is possibly one of the best 
available buildings for a furniture business in the city. There are 
other locations in the retail district which pay even higher rentals, 
and very few can be obtained for less. The renter usually must 
stand the expense'of any changes that may be needed, and, as but 
few of the buildings are modern and suitable for up-to-date business 
methods, considerable remodeling is necessary. 

There are many expenses other than that of rent which will cause 
the overhead charges to be heavy. One of these is the “ patente ” or 
license to carry on trade. There are two kinds, one for Buenos Aires 
and another for the Province in which the city is located. In addi¬ 
tion to these two, every other Province throughout the country has 
a separate annual charge ranging from $42 to $756, gold. If a mer¬ 
chant sends his representative into the interior of the country he must 
pay the necessary provincial license. The amount charged for the 
“ patente ” in Buenos Aires is very arbitrary. It depends upon the 
opinion of the city inspector who is sent to examine the establish¬ 
ment and make a report. His recommendations may call for any¬ 
thing from 200 to 10,000 pesos ($84 to $4,200 gold) per annum, de¬ 
pending upon his idea of the importance of the business. 

Municipal charges are comparatively high, amounting to approxi¬ 
mately 6 per cent of the rent paid. Of this amount 2.5 per cent is 
paid on the property and 3.3 per cent on the business. It may be 
interesting to know that in most cases the renter pays both these 
taxes. The money obtained in this way is expended for street 
lighting, cleaning, inspection, and vigilance. There are other ex¬ 
penses to be considered. Interior lighting amounts to approximately 
$0.08 gold per kilowatt hour, while a certain amount must be paid 
to the city annually in taxes on signs, awnings, lettering on windows, 
and on many other small things too numerous to mention. 

In connection with the cost of maintaining a business it may be 
stated that the services of an accountant or bookkeeper may be 
secured for $210 to $250 per month. Stenographers who use both 
English and Spanish languages receive from $126 to $168, while sales¬ 
men are paid from $85 to $250, according to their experience and 
training. Cabinetmakers and finishers may be had for $2.50 to $4 
per day, while common laborers such as porters, janitors, and watch¬ 
men may be hired for $40 to $50 per month. The above figures repre¬ 
sent United States currency. 

Buenos Aires, with a population of almost one and three-quarter 
millions, is the metropolis of South America and manufacturers 
may consider that the expense of maintaining a business in that city 


54 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF ARGENTINA. 


possibly will equal that necessary for a similar establishment in the 
better retail centers of cities like St. Louis, Chicago, Philadelphia, 
Boston, and even New York, outside of a few strategic trade centers. 

DEVELOPING THE OFFICE-FURNITURE TRADE. 

There are certain conditions detrimental to the development of the 
American office-furniture trade which can be remedied by the Ameri¬ 
can manufacturers, and which are important enough to deserve 
their immediate attention. 

NEED OF MORE PERMANENT STYLES. 

American manufacturers should adopt some standard equipment 
which is most suited to the trade in both the United States and 
Argentina. They should be able to guarantee their customers that 
there will be no change in dimensions or styles unless such changes 
are found to be absolutely necessary. Considerable injury has been 
done to the Argentine market by a sudden change in a certain size or 
type of furniture which has been sold in that market. Instances 
have been noted in which representatives of American manufacturers 
have sold correspondence files on the agreement that, when needed, 
new files of the same design and size could be obtained to corre¬ 
spond to those previously purchased. When new equipment was 
required, the representative had to inform his customer that the pro¬ 
duction of the particular kind of furniture he desired had been 
discontinued by the factory owing to some new and better styles or 
arrangements having been adopted. When the customer inquired 
what could be done, the dealer could offer no better solution than to 
suggest that he buy something new. This angered the buyer, who 
declared that he would have nothing more to do with American 
goods or ideas. 

It must be remembered that the South American market is more 
conservative than is that of the United States. A merchant is 
not so readily influenced to drop a thing he has used for a long 
time for something entirely new as is the North American business 
man, and in order to build up a sound, paying trade some means 
of continuing to supply the type of furniture that is most demanded 
must be found. Alterations should be made very slowly and diplo¬ 
matically. Sudden changes in styles, colors, and dimensions, even 
though they be for the better, have the appearance of a scheme to 
force new business in the eyes of some conservative South Ameri¬ 
can buyers. 

STANDARDIZATION OF COLORS. 

The adoption of standarized colors is very important. The 
golden quarter-sawed oak finish is the most popular in Argentina, 
and all kinds of office equipment should be supplied in the same 
shade of that color. As the condition stands at present the golden- 
oak color used by the manufacturer of chairs may not match the 
golden-oak color used by the manufacturer of desks. This is rather 
an important matter for the consumer who, from a distance of 
over 6,000 miles, orders his desks from one firm and his chairs from 
another only to find on receipt of the goods that the golden oaks 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF ARGENTINA. 


55 


of the two manufacturers are not the same, and that the chairs 
do not match the desks. A certain dealer in Rosario was a victim 
of the above-mentioned conditions and found it difficult to dispose 
of some of his furniture because the colors were unlike. Manu¬ 
facturers should not ignore the problem of standardizing colors, as 
it is an important factor in the development of trade in this line. 

The quality of finish is also a question of moment. Office furniture 
is desired, as a rule, with highly polished surfaces and manufac¬ 
turers who provide this finish will be favored with the greater part 
of the trade. 

PACKING TO SAVE FREIGHT. 

The packing of office furniture for the Argentine market is still 
a matter the minute details of which are overlooked even by firms 
which have had several years of experience in foreign trade. While 
the general external packing is good there is a lack of appreciation 
of the importance of economizing in space. A certain American 
firm has caused its representatives in Buenos Aires to lose consider¬ 
able money on excessive freight bills owing to the disregard of many 
packing instructions from the client. For instance, sanitary bases 
for sectional bookcases were shipped set-up, two in a box, while 
under separate cover in the same order were sent a good number of 
empty 6-inch card-index boxes. These small boxes could have been 
packed in the unused space within the set-up sanitary bases and 
the client saved a heavy freight bill, as, at that time, space was paid 
for at a high rate per cubic foot. 

In another instance a dealer ordered a number of metal cash 
boxes of various sizes, which he had deliberately chosen because the 
boxes could be economically packed, one within another. He gave 
careful instructions as to the manner of packing them, but when 
they arrived each box was packed separate from the others, thus 
causing the freight charges to be considerably more than was 
necessary. These are only two instances of the many unpardon¬ 
able mistakes American furniture manufacturers are making. There 
is a tendency on the part of inland manufacturers to overlook the 
fact that ocean freight is charged in many cases according to the 
space occupied and not by weight. In the factories there should 
be closer cooperation between the sales organization and the ship¬ 
ping department in order that packing may be more intelligently 
done. 

As previously indicated, the greatest obstacle to the rapid in¬ 
crease of office-furniture trade in Argentina is the manufacturers’ 
present method of marketing their products. Up to the present 
time the sale of their goods has been largely in the hands of for¬ 
eigners. Two of the strong representatives have been on the statutory 
list, and of all the special representatives in the country only one 
or two are American. Moreover, some agents carry a large number 
of diverse lines and are, in many respects, competitors of American 
manufacturers for the Argentine trade. It is a significant fact that 
the present type of office furniture is the development of an American 
idea, and it is reasonable to suppose that Americans who understand 
it best should be most able to demonstrate its use and cause others to 
appreciate it. 


56 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF ARGENTINA. 


DEVELOPING THE HOUSE-FURNITURE TRADE. 

Up to date American manufacturers of house furniture have se¬ 
cured a very small part of the business in Argentina, and if they 
wish to obtain an increasing market for their product and be able 
effectively to cope with the strong competition of European manu¬ 
facturers in that country, or in any other country of South America, 
it will be necessary for them to take hold of the problem themselves 
and possibly endeavor to solve it through cooperation. Perhaps no 
one manufacturer would wish to invest the necessary capital and 
time required in building up a demand for his product with the 
possibility of another firm’s later entering the field and reaping the 
benefits of his labor. The expense of establishing a business, in¬ 
stalling branch offices with a complete stock, and placing competent 
people in charge would be heavy, and in the beginning the returns 
would be small. 

The problem of successfully meeting competition, especially in the 
sale of house furniture, is a serious one. European manufacturers 
who have had to relinquish some of their trade in South America 
because of the war will return with a grim determination to regain 
and increase the business which they formerly had. For years they 
have been established in this market, and their hold on it combined 
with the not-altogether-favorable reputation the Americans have in 
Argentina as manufacturers of house furniture, can not be con¬ 
sidered trifling difficulties to be easily overcome. At present there 
is little to fear in competition for trade in office equipment, but in 
other lines it will take the strength of a whole-hearted, well-managed 
effort of a combination of American furniture interests to succ' 
in building up a remunerative business. 









Special Agents Series No. 183. 



PIG. 10.—URUGUAYAN DINING-ROOM FURNITURE IMPORTED FROM ENGLAND. 

It is made of mahogany and sells for a high price. 

























Special Agents Series No. 183. 



FIG. 11.—ENGLISH STYLE DINING-ROOM FURNITURE USED IN URUGUAY. 


































VII. SUMMARY. 


Argentina is the best South American market for the sale of im¬ 
ported furniture and stands fourth in importance in the world’s 
markets for American furniture, being exceeded in its purchases 
only by Canada, England and her possessions (excepting Canada), 
and Cuba. 

Previous to the war Austria was favored with the greatest share of 
the trade in chairs and some other cheap furniture. Quality of prod¬ 
uct, facility of packing and shipping, low prices and popularity of the 
type gave Austria an advantage over every other country. The 
United States took second place as a source of cheap chairs for Argen¬ 
tina. Without doubt the American manufacturers’ share of this 
business can be materially increased if special effort is made to sat¬ 
isfy the market demands for favorable prices and terms of sale. 

England has dominated the metal-furniture trade of Argentina 
and still holds the largest share of this trade, which consists prin¬ 
cipally of brass and iron beds. The American brass beds have not 
been so popular in Argentina because they have not been considered 
as good in design and quality of workmanship or finish as those made 
in England. Brass beds are being manufactured in increasing num¬ 
bers by the domestic shops, but as yet they are not so reliable in serv¬ 
ice or durable in finish as those imported from the British manufac¬ 
turers. There is no reason to believe that the American brass-bed 
manufacturers can not obtain their share of the Argentine business 
if they will offer a good product in desired patterns^ well finished, 
and suitably packed, for reasonable prices consistent with quality and 
service. 

The American manufacturers have been favored with practically 
all the office-furniture business of Argentina. This business amounts 
annually to several hundred thousand dollars in normal times. As 
yet no foreign competitors of importance have entered the field, and 
it is very doubtful if the domestic manufacturers will be able to 
manufacture office furniture that will compete with the American 
product in quality or price, service being considered. Argentina is 
rapidly expanding commercially, and in some respects industrially, 
and the outlook for an increase in the office-furniture business is 
very promising. Increase in this business will be less delayed if the 
manufacturers give that market its due consideration and make a 
special effort properly to sell their product. 

Up to the present time Argentina has favored European manu¬ 
facturers for her needs in fine house furniture and other interior dec¬ 
orations. American house furniture of good quality is practically 
unknown in the country, yet the market for this class of goods is 
excellent, the trade having amounted in 1913 to more than $2,000,000. 
While the domestic industry is capable of producing the cheaper 
grades, the country must depend largely upon other sources for its 
supply of furniture of good quality. 


57 


58 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF ARGENTINA. 


An excellent trade in American furniture for both the house and 
office may be ha$ in Argentina if the United States manufacturers 
will give more attention to the proper development of that market. 
Whether or not they establish a business of increasing importance 
will depend largely upon their readiness to invest the energy and 
capital necessary properly to place in that market a product which 
will meet the approval of discriminating buyers, as well as upon 
their willingness to fulfill certain trade requirements in order to 
meet the competition of European manufacturers. They must ex¬ 
pect to offer every advantage provided by foreign competitors if they 
hope to obtain and hold and increase their business in that country. 
A broad understanding of the market conditions and requirements 
is absolutely necessary and can be secured only through business ex¬ 
perience in the country itself. The desired results can be most quickly 
and assuredly obtained through a well-directed organization com¬ 
posed of the furniture manufacturers interested in foreign trade. 


Part 2.—URUGUAY. 

I. INTRODUCTION. 


AREA, PHYSICAL FEATURES, AND POPULATION. 

Uruguay is one of the smallest but one of the most progressive 
Republics of South America. It is but a little larger than the State 
of North Dakota, having an area of 72,152 square miles. While it 
does not possess vast territories, it is without deserts, mountains, and 
unexplored regions, and every part of the country is habitable and 
workable. It is situated in the southeastern part of South America 
along the seacoast between Argentina and Brazil. The climate 
ranges from temperate along the seaboard to subtropical in the 
northern part. There is an excellent supply of water, rainfall being 
plentiful. 

Although Uruguay is the smallest of the South American Repub¬ 
lics in point of area, it is the most densely populated, and its pur¬ 
chasing power per capita is next to the highest of the countries on 
the southern continent. The population is approximately 1,400,000 
inhabitants, of which one-fiftli are foreigners. It is rapidly increas¬ 
ing both by reason of excess of births over deaths and by immigra¬ 
tion, the greater increase coming through the former means. The 
inhabitants are of a distinct type, composed largely of Spanish and 
Italian stock, with no admixture of Indian or Negro blood. Although 
in order of their numerical importance, the Italians and Spanish 
come first, there is also a considerable number of other nationalities 
represented. The cosmopolitanism of Uruguay is due to the advan¬ 
tageous condition of its climate and soil, which makes it possible 
for individuals of all races to adapt themselves to their surroundings. 
The Uruguayans are a vigorous race and are making the most of their 
national resources and wealth. 

INDUSTRIES AND RESOURCES. 

DOMESTIC TRADE AND MANUFACTURES. 

Montevideo, the capital and principal port of the Republic, has 
a population of 400,000 inhabitants. It is the only city of impor¬ 
tance in the country, and practically all commerce and communica¬ 
tions converge at this point. Commercial travelers representing 
manufacturers of furniture and other firms will gain little by going 
to other towns of the country. Montevideo is one of South America’s 
most attractive cities. It possesses wide streets, good buildings, and 
beautiful parks. It has modern and extensive port facilities, which 
by reason of capacity and ease of access rank among those of the 
highest order. Through this port passes practically all of the freight 
trade of the country, and all ocean steamers to and from Buenos 

59 


60 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF URUGUAY. 


Aires for foreign countries touch at its docks. It also serves as a 
point of transshipment for a large part of the freight en route from 
Europe and the United States to Asuncion. Montevideo is the center 
of the manufacturing industries. Industrial enterprises are growing, 
and since the beginning of the war a number of small factories have 
been started which are now supplying many products that formerly 
were imported. Boots and shoes are being manufactured. Furni¬ 
ture is made in considerable quantities. Brick and tile, cement, and 
coke works have been established. Several woolen mills are in suc¬ 
cessful operation. The manufacturing interests, however, chiefly 
supply products that are in local demand, and can not nearly meet 
the needs of the market. 

AGRICULTURAL AND MINERAL WEALTH. 

Uruguay is a pastoral country. Cattle and sheep raising are still 
the greatest sources of wealth. Recently large packing houses, which 
provide a ready market for animal products and give employment to 
several thousand persons, have been built in the country. Of late 
years large areas have been devoted to agriculture, principally to 
the production of corn and wheat. The mineral industries have not 
yet been developed to a great extent, although gold, silver, copper, 
lead, manganese, and lignite have been found. 

TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES. 

This country is most fortunate in its ease of a ccess from the outside 
world and its good internal transportation facilities. Ships of the 
best-known navigation companies of Great Britain, France, Ger¬ 
many, Holland, Italy, Spain, the United States, and other countries, 
aggregating altogether more than 50 lines of steamers, called at its 
principal port before the war. There is a daily steamer service be¬ 
tween Montevideo and Buenos Aires, while weekly service is main¬ 
tained between Montevideo and Asuncion, Paraguay. The level 
character of the country has permitted construction of railroad lines, 
which now connect Montevideo with all sections of the country. 

FOREIGN TRADE. 

In its total volume of trade as compared with other South Ameri¬ 
can countries, Uruguay is surpassed only by Argentina, Brazil, and 
Chile, and in the amount per capita it is greater than any other ex¬ 
cept Argentina. The foreign commerce of the country has shown 
an upward trend for many years. In 1912 it exceeded $100,000,000 
for the first time. The gradual mounting of the foreign trade of 
this country is undoubtedly due to the growth of the live-stock in¬ 
dustry, as the great bulk of the exports consists of live-stock products, 
and the returns from them constitute the chief purchasing wealth 
of the nation. The raising of live stock will increase greatly, owing 
to the improved facilities for marketing the products and to better 
prices. Improvement in these lines, together with the entrance of the 
mineral and agricultural products into the foreign trade, will still 
further augment the purchasing power of the country. 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF URUGUAY. 61 

The following figures represent the value of the total foreign 
trade of Uruguay from 1913 to 1916, inclusive: 


Years. 

Total trade. 

Exports. 

Imports. 

Trade bal¬ 
ance. 

1913. 

$122,889,887 

98,714,508 

111,973,155 

112,884,226 

$70,824,988 

60,213,645 

75,797,212 

76,396,822 

$52,064,899 

38,500,863 

36,175,943 

36,487,404 

$18,760,089 

21,712,782 

39,622,269 

39,909,418 

1914. 

1915. 

1916.. 



The principal export products of Uruguay are wool, hides and 
skins, meats and extracts, grease and tallow, live animals, oil-pro¬ 
ducing grains, and flour; the imports include food products, tex¬ 
tiles, iron and steel manufactures, stone, glass and china ware, fur¬ 
niture, beverages, oils, chemical products, and tobacco. The United 
States has been interested in the export trade to a small extent, tak¬ 
ing principally wool and hides. Before the war it held fourth place 
in the import trade, furnishing 9 per cent of the total, the United 
Kingdom, Germany, and France ranking first, second, and third, re¬ 
spectively. By 1915 the United States had greatly increased its 
share of the imports, having furnished in that year almost 21 per 
cent of the total. 

The commerce of Uruguay is substantial, having been built upon 
a conservative and exacting basis. Its zone of action covers a large 
portion of the southern part of Brazil, and it exchanges its prod¬ 
ucts and manufactured goods in the commercial cities on both sides 
of the Uruguay, Parana, and Paraguay Rivers. Its commerce ex¬ 
tends as far as Bolivia, and by transshipment at Montevideo busi¬ 
ness is carried on with Chilean ports. Uruguay’s commercial 
capacity can not be judged, therefore, entirely by the figures given 
in the statistics on foreign trade, as these contain only the direct 
exports and imports for consumption in the country, and do not in¬ 
clude the amount of trade carried on with the above-mentioned 
markets, known as the “ Commerce of Transit.” This trade is of 
considerable importance, and plays a great part in Uruguay’s having 
a high coefficient of commercial intercourse per capita. 

PRESENT ECONOMIC ASPECTS OF THE COUNTRY. 

While Uruguay, like all other South American countries, had to 
solve many serious and perplexing problems at the beginning of 
the war, its general economic conditions were not greatly disturbed. 
Business, though reduced considerably, continued to remain upon 
a firm basis. The importation of goods declined because of high 
prices, lack of shipping, and general uncertainty. Merchants bought 
very little, and stocks ran low or entirely gave out. Dealers in fur¬ 
niture who usually carried a large supply of office equipment and 
chairs soon disposed of everything at high prices. Some dealers 
had nothing left except the furniture which was absolutely neces¬ 
sary in their own offices. The continued high prices, ever-increas¬ 
ing freight rates, and inability of merchants to obtain goods, have 
resulted in the liquidation of many lines. But the country has 
emerged from the crisis in a better condition in some respects than 














62 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF URUGUAY. 


prevailed before the war, and when times again become normal 
there will be a heavy demand for many kinds of merchandise. 

The war brought prosperity to the country in general. Uruguay, 
being largely a meat-producing and agricultural country, received 
high prices for its products during the entire period. Business has 
improved, debts have been paid, and deposits in the banks have 
increased. The firmness of the country’s exchange, the conserva¬ 
tiveness of most of the merchants and the promptness with which 
they meet their bills, have given Uruguay a high credit standing, 
and the country is now in an excellent condition financially, and 
this general good condition is bound to be reflected sooner or later 
in the furniture imports as well as in other lines. 


II. STATISTICS OF FURNITURE IMPORTS. 


Uruguay has been a relatively good market for imported furni¬ 
ture. Although the population of the entire country is considerably 
less than that of the city of Philadelphia, before the war it took 
fourth place among the South American countries as a purchaser 
of American furniture. The importance of this country as a furni¬ 
ture market is due largely to the fact that the people as a whole are 
enlightened and progressive. They demand and are able to purchase 
the modern comforts and facilities of home and business life. 

The following analysis by countries of origin shows the quanti¬ 
ties and kinds of furniture imported into Uruguay during the nor¬ 
mal year 1911, when the total reached $301,126, and the war years, 
1915 and 1916, when it fell to $77,426 and $46,642, respectively: 


Classification and countries of origin. 

1911 

1915 

1916 

Quantity. 

Value. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

IRON AND STEEL SAFES. 

Argentina.pounds.. 

Belgium.do. 

11,495 
6,754 
20,735 
63,041 
594 
179,157 
26,448 

81,093 

639 

1.960 

5.960 
56 

16,958 

2,879 

2,860 

7,524 

2,031 

1,584 

8270 

711 

192 

150 

3,949 

$373 

France.do. 

Germany.do. 

572 

54 

Netherlands.do. 

154 

11,957 

21,076 

15 

1,130 

1,982 

United Kingdom.do. 

United States.do. 

Total. 

29,603 

4,570 

2,799 

433 

308,224 

29,525 

48,172 

4,555 

37,708 

3,554 

IRON AND BRASS BEDS. 

Argentina.number.. 

France.do. 

14 
' 69 

7 

2 

877 

89 

155 

649 

138 

31 

10,780 

1,009 

37 

17 

12 

3 

523 

100 

748 
238 
237 
62 
8,123 
1,508 

93 

1,166 

Germany..do._ 



Italy.do..,.. 



United Kingdom.do. 

United States.do. 

Total.do. 

WOOD FURNITURE. 

Argentina.. . 

302 

80 

6,527 

1,063 

1,058 

12,760 

692 

10,916 

473 

8,756 


12,308 

18,140 

24,339 

93,869 

23,094 

37,906 

8,122 

1,063 


4,483 
686 
6,155 
13,235 
3,279 
13,166 
14,273 
6,678 


3,475 

Belgium. 




France 




4,133 
3,699 
2,191 
10,701 
7,471 
3,658 

Germany... 




Italy . 




United Kingdom... 




United States. 




All other countries. .. 




Total.... 





258,841 


61,955 


35,332 






Uruguay has favored Great Britain in the iron-safe trade. In 1911 
the total imports in this line w T ere valued at $29,525, of which more 
than 50 per cent was supplied by English manufacturers. The Eng¬ 
lish article known as the Chubb safe has been most popular. Prac¬ 
tically all the safes sold in Uruguay are fitted with the key lock. The 
combination lock is not desired as a rule. The American light-steel 
safe is finding an increasing market, and in time- a fairly good busi- 

63 















































































64 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF URUGUAY. 


ness can be created for this type of safe when its advantages are 
more generally known. 

The largest share of the metal-bed trade also has gone to the Eng¬ 
lish manufacturers. In 1911 the total trade in this line amounted in 
value to $12,760, the share of Great Britain being $10,780, while the 
trade with the United States amounted to only $1,009. In 1915 the 
total trade in metal beds was valued at $10,916, of which England 
furnished 74.4 per cent and the United States 13.8 per cent. 

Before the war Uruguay imported more than a quarter of a mil- . 
lion dollars’ worth of wooden furniture annually. In 1911 this trade 
totaled $258,841, in which Germany ranked first, furnishing 36.2 per 
cent of the whole. The trade with. Germany was largely in Austrian 
bent-wood chairs. The purchases from the United States, which 
ranked second as a source of supply, consisted chiefly of office equip¬ 
ment and cheap and medium-priced chairs. House furniture of good 
quality has been largely supplied by France, Great Britain, and Italy. 

The following table shows the quantities and values of the imports 
of different kinds of furniture for the years 1915 and 1916 by articles 
and principal countries of origin: 


Classification and countries of origin. 

1915 

1916 

Quantity. 

Value. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

BEDROOM SUITES. 






Consisting usually of a bed, washstand, commode, wardrobe, 





night table, towel rack, a rocking-chair, and four straight- 





back chairs: 






Argentina. 

..number.. 

4 

$291 



United States. 

.do_ 



2 

$128 

BEDS, CRIBS, AND COTS. 






Made of wood, single beds: 






Argentina. 

. .number.. 

4 

73 

17 

473 

France. 


8 

156 

15 

369 

Germany. 


7 

172 

i 

26 

Great Britain. 

.do_ 

7 

153 

24 

458 

Italy. 


2 

31 

6 

135 

All other countries. 

.do_ 



8 

89 

Total. 


28 

585 

71 

1,550 

Made of iron, single and double: 






Argentina. 


7 

72 

66 

615 

France. 

.do_ 

7 

48 



Great Britain. 

.do_ 

267 

2,719 

8 

54 

United States. 


39 

296 

58 

579 

Total. 


320 

3,135 

132 

1.248 

Made of brass, with and without decorations, single and double: 





Argentina. 


30 

655 

27 

551 

France. 


10 

191 



Germany.. 


12 

237 



Great Britain. 


256 

5,405 

294 

6.473 

Italy. 


3 

62 



United States. 


61 

1,211 

22 

484 

Total. 


372 

7,761 

343 

7,508 

BUFFETS. 






Of ordinary and fine wood, with and without mirrors, plain 





and carved: 






Argentina. 


9 

187 

11 

229 

France. 


4 

146 

73 



Germany. 


2 

1 

21 

Great Britain. 


25 

614 

50 

1,446 

United States. 


1 

21 


Total. 

41 

1,041 | 

62 

1,696 
































































FURNITURE MARKETS OF URUGUAY 


65 


Classification and countries of origin. 


CHAIRS. 

Of all kinds and classes: 

Argentina. 

Austria-Hungary. 

France.. 

Germany_.. 

Great Britain.. 

Italy. 

United States.. 

All other countries. 

Total. 


DESKS. 

Roll and flat-top, plain and carved: 

Argentina. 

Great Britain.. 

United States.. 

All other countries. 

Total. 


LAVATORIES, WASHSTANDS, ETC. 

Argentina. 

France. 

Germany. 

Great Britain. 

Italy. 


Total. 

RACKS. 

I 

Hatracks,paper racks, bookstands, etc.: 

Argentina. 

France. 

Germany. 

Great Britain. 

Italy. 

United States. 

All other countries. 

Total. 


REED AND RATTAN FURNITURE. 

France. 

Germany. 

Great Britain. 

Italy. 

United States. 

All other countries. 

Total. 


IRON SAFES. 


Argentina. 

Belgium. 

France. 

Germany. 

Great Britain. 

United States. 

All other countries 

Total. 


SOFAS. 


1915 


Quantity. 


Value. 


1916 


Quantity. 


Value. 


.dosen. 

..do... 

..do... 

..do... 

...do... 

..do... 

..do... 

..do... 


number. 

_do... 

_do... 

_do... 


number. 

_do... 

_do... 

_do... 

_do... 


number. 

_do... 

_do... 

_do... 

_do... 

_do... 

_do... 


.pieces. 
..do... 
...do... 
...do... 
, ..do... 
..do... 


.pounds. 

_do... 

_do... 

_do... 

-do... 

_do... 

_do... 


55 

486 

14 

670 

105 

37 

277 

39 


1,683 


1 

11 

167 


179 


5 

37 

4 

13 

2 


61 


41 

1 

13 

23 
4 

24 
12 


118 


67 

25 

71 
78 

772 

72 


1,085 


2,860 

7,524 

2,031 

1,584 

29,603 

4,576 


48,178 


$592 

5,442 

246 

10,032 

1,788 

809 

4,945 

511 


24,365 


52 

172 

5,719 


5,943 


42 

770 

50 

220 

42 


1,124 


137 

12 

54 

149 

50 

250 

50 


702 


138 

112 

303 

41 

706 

52 


1,352 


266 

711 

192 

149 

2,799 

432 


4,549 


42 

33 

61 

220 

94 

48 

286 

168 


952 


12 

7 

60 

3 


82 


29 


14 

2 


45 


14 


6 

35 


62 


3,949 

”'572 


11,957 

21,076 

154 


37,708 


$522 

1,218 

2,036 

3,163 

2,080 

1,227 

5,013 

2,097 


17,356 


211 

146 

1,957 

31 


2,345 


295 


275 

42 


612 


53 


74 

216 


62 


405 


373 

“54 


1,130 

1,982 

15 


3,554 


Of ordinary wood, with cane seats and backs, and also of fine 


wood, upholstered: 

Argentina.nu mber. 

France.do... 

Germany.do... 

Great Britain.do... 

Italy..do... 

United States.do... 

All other countries.do... 


Total 


24 

5 

71 

70 

55 

49 

12 


256 

99 

443 

584 

578 

440 

62 


24 

49 

26 

54 

23 

9 

27 


200 

408 

160 

736 

341 

91 

140 


286 


2,462 


212 


2,076 


120314°—19-5 











































































































66 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF URUGUAY. 


Classification and countries of origin. 


TABLES. 


Dining-room, sewing tables, dressing tables, billiard tables, 
typewriter tables, etc., of ordinary and fine woods: 

Argentina...•..number. 

France.do... 

Germany. do... 

Great Britain.do... 

Italy.do... 

United States.do... 


Total. 


WARDROBES. 

Of ordinary and fine wood, with and without mirrors, plain 


and decorated: 

Argentina.number. 

France.;.do... 

Germany.do... 

Great Britain.do... 

Italy.do... 

All other countries.do... 


Total 


UNCLASSIFIED. 


Argentina.pieces. 

France.do... 

Germany.do... 

Great Britain.do... 

Italy...do... 

United States.do... 

All others.do... 


Total 


1915 

1916 

Quantity. 

Value. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

38 

8357 

53 

8411 

20 

236 

53 

342 

57 

239 

4 

47 

401 

2,319 

340 

2,767 

20 

179 

12 

62 

48 

224 

64 

146 

584 

3,554 

526 

3,775 

14 

291 

22 

801 

8 

385 

13 

707 

8 

218 

1 

21 

66 

1,664 

74 

2,012 

2 

114 

5 

286 



2 

83 

98 

2,672 

117 

3,910 

183 

1,900 

18 

280 

179 

3,252 

34 

271 

55 

642 

12 

187 

173 

4,747 

76 

565 


1,306 

28 

98 

395 

2; 591 

26 

78 

37 

753 



1,022 

15,191 

194 

1,479 


In 1911 the four principal countries which supplied the furniture 
imported by Uruguay were, in order of their importance, Germany, 
Great Britain, United States, and France. In 1915 they were Great 
Britain, United States, France, and Germany. The following table 
shows the percentage of the business obtained by the countries par¬ 
ticipating in this trade: 


Countries of origin. 

1911 

1915 

1916 

Countries of origin. 

1911 

1915 

1916 

Argentina. 

Belgium. 

Per cent. 
4.5 
6.2 
8.9 
33.1 

Per cent. 
7.1 
1.8 
8.5 
17.6 

Per cent. 
10.5 

Great Britain. 

Italy. 

Per cent. 
21.8 
7.6 
17.3 
.6 

Per cent. 
31.1 
4.3 
20.9 
8.7 

Per cent. 
38.5 
4.6 
22.0 
7.8 

France. 

Germany. 

8.9 

7.7 

United States. 

All other. 


It is evident from the table above that Great Britain, the United 
States, and Argentina have gradually increased their share of Uru¬ 
guay’s furniture trade. The growing business of Great Britain and 
Argentina has been largely in house furniture, and the larger part 
of the trade with the United States has been in office equipment and 
chairs. The United States manufacturers have received but a very 
small part of the business in house furniture. The advance that 
Argentina is making in the furniture business in Uruguay may be 
said to be due chiefly to the efforts of the English firms of Buenos 
Aires which are endeavoring to build up a trade in that country. 









































































III. FACTORS INFLUENCING TRADE IN HOUSE FURNI¬ 
TURE. 


The place of the United States in the office-furniture trade seems 
secure. American manufacturers of office equipment are finding 
their goods favorably received in Uruguay, and the prospects for the 
postwar sale of this class of goods are promising. The Uruguayan 
business men are progressive, and they will to a large extent adopt 
American desks, filing systems, light steel safes, etc. With the ex¬ 
ception of the small quantity of office furniture made by local car¬ 
penters there is practically no other on the market. American manu¬ 
facturers will have little to fear from European firms and may ex¬ 
pect to continue to receive practically all the business. 

In the matter of house furniture, however, conditions are some¬ 
what different, and American manufacturers must take into con¬ 
sideration a number of important factors if they are to increase their 
trade in this line. 


STYLE OF ARCHITECTURE. 

In Uruguay, as in other South American countries, there are cer¬ 
tain architectural tendencies which have a great influence on the 
furniture trade. The building laws require ceilings of all buildings 
for residential purposes to be of a much greater height than is re¬ 
quired in the average American dwelling. Chiefly ror this reason 
there has been a demand for furniture of a somewhat different pat¬ 
tern from that which is now being made by the American manufac¬ 
turers. This applies particularly to dining-room furniture, and it 
will be difficult for United States manufacturers to sell their product 
of present styles in Uruguay. 

American bedroom-furniture manufacturers also will encounter 
certain trade demands which they must consider if they expect to 
enter the market. There are many beautiful, well-built homes in 
Uruguay, but comparatively few of them are modern in the American 
sense of the term. There are practically no houses equipped with 
built-in clothes closets, and only the most modern and expensive have 
lavatories and running water in or near the bedrooms. Because of 
this it is absolutely necessary to furnish large wardrobes and mar¬ 
ble-covered lavatories or washstands with practically every bedroom 
suite to be sold in that country. The American furniture manufac¬ 
turers must give due consideration to the architectural tendencies 
and their influence upon the market if they are to provide furniture 
most suited to the needs and demands of Uruguay. 

COMPETITION OF EUROPEAN FIRMS. 

The competition of the European manufacturers, who have their 
representatives and stocks in the field, will be a serious obstacle to 
the sale of American furniture as long as the United States manu- 

67 


68 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF URUGUAY. 


facturers are handicapped by their present means of representation. 
They are depending mostly upon uninterested local dealers to sell 
their product. Usually these dealers keep on hand very little or no 
stock of American furniture. They are generally more interested 
in the sale of furniture which they have had made locally for their 
trade. As a rule, people who wish American furniture must have 
it ordered at their expense, and they assume all risks. Besides this 
inconvenience and uncertainty, a long delay must be endured by any¬ 
one wanting United States furniture, as the goods must be ordered 
from the States after they have been selected in Uruguay. The 
other foreign firms now in the market have excellent stores and a 
fine display of furniture. They are providing every facility for 
assisting their customers to make satisfactory purchases. European 
competitors are using effective sales methods and are offering other 
advantages which greatly overshadow those employed at present by 
the few American manufacturers who are endeavoring to sell through 
one or two local dealers. United States manufacturers of house 
furniture must obtain better means of representation if they are to 
increase their trade in Uruguay. 

COMPETITION OF DOMESTIC MANUFACTURERS. 

Domestic carpenter shops offer strong competition in cheap grades 
of house furniture. Most persons who can afford to buy only low- 
priced furniture are not overexacting as to quality. Although cheap 
American furniture is much superior in construction and appearance, 
it can not compete in price with the ordinary domestically made 
product. The original cost of the Uruguayan article is 25 to 50 per 
cent greater than that of similar American goods; but the freight and 
other costs of placing the latter on the market make the selling price 
much higher than that of the domestic goods. Exception must be 
made of chairs, which can not be so successfully produced in local 
shops and which will continue to be imported in quantities. 

The manufacture of furniture in Uruguay is still in a very primi¬ 
tive stage. Almost the entire product is made by hand—much of it 
from designs copied from the best-adapted modern English and 
French styles. The machinery which is used is merely for roughing 
out stock. There are not more than two or three furniture manu¬ 
facturers in Uruguay that have establishments large enough to be 
rightly called factories. 

Practically all the materials must be imported. Uruguay has not 
an abundant supply of cabinet woods, and it is necessary to obtain 
from other countries most of those used in the manufacture of furni¬ 
ture. American oak has been very popular and a large part of the 
furniture has been made of this wood. Spanish cedar, black walnut, 
mahogany, and other woods are used in small quantities. Practically 
all the furniture is made of solid wood, veneered construction not 
being employed except for certain decorative work. Metal trim¬ 
mings and other hardware must be purchased abroad. The only 
exceptions are the bronze decorations used on furniture of Louis XVI 
style, which can be cast in the local foundries. Previous to the war 
most of the furniture hardware was purchased in Germany. A large 
amount pf plate glass, mirrors, and marble is used in the locally 


Special Agents Series No. 183. 








































Special Agents Series No. 183. 



FIG. 13.—PARLOR SUITE MADE BY NATIVE LABOR IN URUGUAY. 





















FURNITURE MARKETS OF URUGUAY. 


69 


made furniture. Much of the marble is obtained in the country; but 
the glass must be imported. 

A small amount of office furniture has been made since the Ameri¬ 
can goods have been practically unobtainable. In some instances 
fairly good office desks have been produced, and, for a cheap article, 
the locally constructed desk serves very well. But for a first-class 
product the trade will have to look to American manufacturers, as 
desks of good quality can not be made in the carpenter shops. 

Owing to the lack of proper machinery and other necessary facili¬ 
ties, high-class furniture can not be successfully made in the country 
and dealers must depend upon foreign manufacturers for their 
stocks. The domestic manufacturers are prepared to make only 
furniture of rather simple patterns. At present they are not put¬ 
ting out any which competes in either quality or price with that 
produced by foreign manufacturers of a high-grade product. 

Whether domestic furniture manufacturing develops very much 
beyond its present primitive state depends largely upon the intro¬ 
duction of modern equipment and factory methods. Uruguay of¬ 
fers a good field for some active, progressive furniture manufacturer 
who can install and properly equip a factory and manufacture furni¬ 
ture in an economical, modern way. Good cabinetmakers are ob¬ 
tainable, and there is no reason to believe that such a venture would 
not be successful if the local conditions were thoroughly studied 
and the proper steps taken to supply the demands of the market. 


IV. MARKET FOR PARTICULAR KINDS OF FURNITURE. 

HOUSE FURNITURE. 

FURNITURE IN SUITES. 

Some indication of the kinds of house furniture used in Uruguay 
has already been given in the fore part of this report. The popular 
styles of dining-room furniture are those of English design, as is 
shown in the illustration, figure 11. French-period dining-room 
furniture of similar patterns is admired also. The prices range from 
$200 up per suite. Mahogany and American oak are the woods most 
used for dining-room furniture. 

A suite of bedroom furniture must include a large wardrobe, a 
marble-covered washstand, one or two night tables, a dressing table 
and usually a wooden bed. In well-furnished homes in Uruguay, 
metal beds are not so much used as in the United States, and a good 
bedroom suite is not considered complete unless it contains a wooden 
bed to match the rest of the furniture. The light colors are pre¬ 
ferred. Light oak, maple, and other woods of similar colors are 
popular, although mahogany is used a great deal. 

Parlor furniture is desired in suites of several pieces. A suite in¬ 
cludes plain chairs and armchairs, rockers, a sofa, and a table; and 
sometimes a pedestal and screen are added. Many of the homes are 
furnished with French and Italian upholstered parlor furniture, 
which is usually carved and gilded. 

Reed and rattan furniture are practical for Uruguay and will sell 
in limited quantities to the better class of trade. 

METAL BEDS. 

Uruguay does not offer a very large market for the sale of im¬ 
ported metal beds. There are several local factories which manu¬ 
facture iron beds, and these houses are able to supply practically 
the entire demand at prices which are low enough to compete with 
the costs of imported makes. During 1915 there were 320 iron beds 
imported, of which 267 came from England. 

Local manufacturers have attempted to make brass beds with but 
very little success. Their product is much inferior in workmanship, 
appearance, and finish, and does not satisfy the market demands. 
Brass beds will continue to be imported, although not in very large 
quantities. Before the war Great Britain supplied nearly all the 
brass beds imported into Uruguay. The difficulty of obtaining metal 
supplies and the finished product from England recently has caused 
the importers of brass beds to turn to the United States as a source of 
supply. American brass beds are considered satisfactory in quality 
and design, but the prices are higher than those of similar beds pur¬ 
chased in England, and the method of packing them used by some of 
the manufacturers must be improved immediately if this trade is to 
be held. 


70 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF URUGUAY. 


71 


One instance was noted in which an American shipped heavy cast- 
iron parts of brass beds loose in .the same container holding the thin 
brass tubing, with the result that many of the tubes were badly 
dented and their finish ruined. The invoice of the same shipment of 
beds was so badly made out that it was necessary for the dealer to 
count the separate parts of the shipment in order to know how many 
beds had been received. Abbreviations of factory letters and of num¬ 
bers, unintelligible to the dealer, were used in the invoice. The dif¬ 
ferent pieces were not numbered, and the time required in sorting 
and assembling them was considerably more than would have been 
necessary had the shipment been made properly. This was the first 
order this dealer had received from American manufacturers, he 
having sold English goods before the war. The importer is an Eng¬ 
lishman and will undoubtedly order his brass beds from his native 
country in the future. 

Both double and single beds are used, but single ones are more in 
demand. Square posts are preferred to round ones. Beds are usu¬ 
ally imported directly from the manufacturers in order to save the 
profit of the jobber. 

CHAIRS. 

Without doubt the most popular chair for general use in Uruguay 
is of the Austrian bent-wood type, which in past years has been im¬ 
ported in large quantities. Before the war business in this one style 
alone represented at least 80 per cent of the annual importation of 
chairs. Austrian chairs are used in homes, offices, restaurants, cafes, 
hotels, stores, and public buildings. They have been furnished in 
several patterns, and it has been possible to obtain them for almost 
every purpose. Being light in weight and easily shipped, they 
found a ready market. 

American chairs of cheap and medium price also have been pur¬ 
chased in large quantities. They are used mostly in offices and in 
the better class of homes. English, French, and Italian chairs are im¬ 
ported in small quantities. They are expensive and are, therefore, 
used only by the exclusive trade. 

REFRIGERATORS. 

A good number of American ice boxes have been imported into 
Uruguay and their use is gradually becoming more general, but it 
will be. some time before they are purchased in large numbers. At 
present artificial ice is sold for approximately $0.02 per pound, which 
is expensive. The price prevents the great majority of people from 
using it continually. If ice could be produced and sold as cheaply 
as it is in the United States, no doubt the sale of small refrigerators 
for family use would quickly increase. There is a limited demand 
for refrigerators and large-sized ice boxes for cafes, restaurants, and 
hotels. 

OFFICE FURNITURE. 

American manufacturers may consider Uruguay a good market 
for office equipment. Office furniture made in the United States is 
thought by the Uruguayan business man to be the most practical 
and best to be had. There will be very little or no competition of 


72 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF URUGUAY. 


European or domestic manufacturers in this line, and an increasing 
business may be done if due attention is given to the market de¬ 
mands. The market will not be a large one, inasmuch as Uruguay is 
a small country, but in proportion to its size it will be equally as 
good as Argentina, and the demand will be steady. 

DESKS. 

In 1915 Uruguay imported nearly 200 office desks, of which ap¬ 
proximately 95 per cent were purchased in the United States. The 
American desk has been popular with Uruguayan business men for 
several years. The roll-top and flat-top desks with sanitary pedes¬ 
tals are preferred, although desks with fully inclosed pedestals are 
purchased to some extent. Desks of medium price, such as those 
which are sold in the United States for from $40 to $80 are most 
desired. The retail prices of such desks in Uruguay are double those 
asked for the same article in the United States. 

American typewriter desks have captured the Uruguayan market 
as they have some others in South America. In the past few years 
United States manufacturers have enjoyed practically a monopoly 
in this line. However, since exceedingly high freight rates have 
been demanded there has been an attempt on the part of the local 
furniture shops to copy the American office equipment. In some 
instances the general style and appearance of such furniture is ac¬ 
ceptable, but as a rule it does not give satisfactory service and the 
imported article is preferred. After normal shipping conditions are 
restored there will be considerable increase in the importation of 
American office desks in Uruguay. 

The amount of duty collected on either a roll or flat top desk de¬ 
pends chiefly upon its length. A desk measuring up to and includ¬ 
ing 125 centimeters (49.21 inches) in length, is assessed a duty of 
48 per cent plus a surtax amounting to 14 per cent more, on an official 
valuation of 30 pesos ($31.03). A desk measuring up to and includ¬ 
ing 150 centimeters (59.05 inches) pays a duty on a valuation of 38 
pesos ($39.30); while a desk measuring up to and including 180 
centimeters (70.86 inches) will pay an official valuation of 50 pesos 
($51.71). It will be seen that a desk 50 inches in length will be 
valued at 38 pesos, and, if it were but 1 inch shorter, it would be 
valued at only 30 pesos, making a difference of $8.28 for the 1 inch 
of additional length. In like manner a desk 60 inches long is valued 
at 50 pesos, whereas, if it were 1 inch shorter, it would be valued at 
but 38 pesos. This makes a difference of $12.42 between a 59-inch 
and a 60-inch desk. It may be readily seen that it is possible to save 
a dealer a considerable cost of importing if the manufacturers will 
note the method of determining the duty on office furniture and sup¬ 
ply desks accordingly. 


FILING SYSTEMS. 

While it can not be said that all Uruguayan business men have 
modern office facilities, there being many concerns without an efficient 
filing system, the most of the leading native and American firms 
have up-to-date equipment, and it is reasonable to suppose that the 
less progressive houses, with their apparent willingness to accept 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF URUGUAY. 73 

foreign methods and ideas, will sooner or later adopt American filing 
equipment, thus increasing the market for this land of furniture. 

The ordinary four-drawer, vertical, wooden files of both corre¬ 
spondence and legal sizes are much used. Wooden card-index cases 
of one, two, and four drawers are also used to a considerable extent. 
The sizes desired are the same as those in general use in the United 
States. At present at least 80 per cent or the files and card-index 
systems used in Uruguay are made of wood and are generally fitted 
with a locking device. 


SECTIONAL BOOKCASES. 

The American sectional bookcases for office use are popular in 
Uruguay and were imported in large quantities before freight rates 
became abnormally high. The sectional idea is thought to be the 
most practical, and bookcases so constructed will continue to find a 
ready sale. Some local manufacturers have attempted to make them, 
but their product has not proved satisfactory. The ordinary three, 
four, and five section case, fitted with either the inclosed or open 
sanitary base, is in great demand. 

OFFICE CHAIRS. 

Uruguay offers a good market for American office chairs. Be- 
volving desk chairs with or without arms are purchased in large 
quantities. Such chairs can not be made in the country owing to 
the fact that local shops are unable to produce the metal parts. 
These must be imported, which results in the domestic products 
costing almost as much, if not more, than the imported one, although 
not so durable as the latter. Common office chairs and suites of 
seven pieces, consisting of four straight-back chairs, two armchairs, 
and one sofa sell well. Considerable business can be done in this 
line when shipping conditions become normal. During the last two 
years of the war there were practically no stocks on hand, every¬ 
thing having been sold for good prices after shipping space for 
furniture was cut off. 

The type of chair most desired is that made of quartered oak, 
with cane seat closely woven, selling for a medium price. The color 
most demanded in chairs, as in all other office furniture, is golden 
oak, either light or dark. 

METAL FURNITURE AND OFFICE PARTITIONS. 

Wooden office partitions are made in the local carpenter shops. 
The demand for them is well met and the need of imported ones is 
not felt. Sectional steel partitions are not used. But very few of 
the buildings in Uruguay are more than four stories in height, and 
practically all of them are built of cement, brick, or stone and are fire- 
resisting. Metal partitions have not, as yet, been introduced and it is 
thought there will be little or no demand for them even when they 
are known. 

Steel furniture is used to some extent and its sale will increase as 
its advantages become better recognized. Office-furniture dealers 
carry both the wood and metal equipment and customers are left to 
make their own choice between them. A considerable number of steel 


74 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF URUGUAY. 


files and card-index cases have been sold. They are desired with lock 
and key. Some steel desks were imported, but they did not sell well. 
This was due largely to their high initial cost and to the fact that 
they are not considered comfortable to work on during the winter 
season. Very few of the offices are heated in cold weather. 

STEEL SAFES. 

The light steel safe is gaining in favor. Many of the buildings are 
old and the floors will not support heavy iron safes. Besides afford¬ 
ing a reasonable amount of protection from fire and theft, the light 
steel safe can be easily moved from one floor to another. Safes to 
be shipped to Uruguay should always be provided with a lock and 
key. A combination lock may be put on for additional security, but 
the key lock is preferred if only one kind of locking device is used. 
Light steel safes are desired mostly in small and medium sizes. Very 
few large ones are ordered. Olive green and golden oak are the most 
popular colors. 


PUBLIC-BUILDING FURNITURE. 

GOVERNMENT AND MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS. 

Up to the present time Government and municipal buildings of 
Uruguay have been equipped with very little American furniture. 
Practically all the furniture that is now in use was imported from 
Europe. The more common pieces were purchased from local manu¬ 
facturers. Ordinary chairs about the offices for general use are, for 
the greater part, of the Austrian bent-wood type. Some American 
office furniture, such as desks, typewriter tables, and revolving chairs, 
has been purchased for Government offices in recent years. Modern 
filing systems are greatly needed in all departments of the Govern¬ 
ment, and if they were adopted, considerable business could be done. 
However, the continuous lack of funds for such purposes seems to 
be a great hindrance to the introduction of more modern office equip¬ 
ment. 

PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 

The public schools of Uruguay, which have always stood out 
among those of the other South American countries, both by reason 
of the excellent system and the careful administration, have been 
greatly strengthened in recent years. The establishment of more 
than 500 schools, added to the large number already existing, has per¬ 
mitted the doubling of the number of pupils enrolled. It is calcu¬ 
lated that in Uruguay 63 per cent of the children of school age attend 
school. Public education is entirely free to the extent that the fami¬ 
lies of scholars of the public schools have to furnish nothing directly 
for the education of their children. In 1915 the budget of the minis¬ 
try of public instruction amounted to $3,332,318. If to this sum is 
added that paid for higher education, the total is more than 
$5,000,000. 

In past years school furniture was made in the local furniture 
shops after specifications furnished by the Government board of pri¬ 
mary instruction. The desks were made entirely of wood. Recently 
American desks and other school equipment have been purchased 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF URUGUAY. 


75 


almost exclusively. During the eight years preceding 1912 there 
were 8,010 desks imported. The following figures give the sizes of 
the desks and the prices paid: 


Sizes. 

Double 

desks. 

Fronts. 

Rears. 

No. 2. 

$6.52 

$5.00 

4.60 

$5.00 

No. 3. 

6.16 

4.60 

No. 4. .. 

6.16 

4.60 

4.60 

No. 5. 

5.79 

4.30 

3.30 



In 1912 individual, instead of double, desks were purchased, and 
2,500 of these were imported at prices of $5.21 each for the large 
size, $1.99 for medium, and $1.61 for the small size. -Fronts and 
rears in all sizes were priced at $1.41 each. These prices were for 
desks laid down in Montevideo, all duties paid. 

For the manufacturers of industrial equipment for schools there 
seems to be no immediate prospect of business in this market. The 
country has a very good industrial school in which a large part of 
the necessary furniture of an ordinary nature is made. Manual 
training and domestic science are not included in the courses of 
study of the public schools as they are in the United States. 

BARBER SHOPS. 

There are some fairly well furnished barber shops in Montevideo. 
The first-class places are equipped with American chairs, which are 
considered the best to be had. A few of the chairs are the high- 
priced, sanitary style, finished in white enamel, but most of them 
are of medium quality. Practically all of the chairs are uphol¬ 
stered in woven cane. There has been some European competition 
in the barber-chair business. French and German models have been 
purchased by many of the shops. However, the American product 
is gaining in favor, and if the prices asked compare favorably with 
those quoted for European chairs, the American manufacturers will 
be able to secure most of the trade. There is some domestic compe¬ 
tition, but it is not important inasmuch as it is restricted to a very 
simple, uncomfortable wooden chair used by the poorest class of 
barbers. Practically all barber-shop fittings are made in the local 
carpenter shops. 

HOSPITALS. 

American manufacturers of hospital furniture will be able to do 
but little business in Uruguay, as the greater part of hospital equip¬ 
ment can now be made in the country. With the exception of some 
of the most complicated pieces, furniture for hospitals is now made 
by one local firm. Unless the manufacturers can place in that 
country as good or better hospital furniture for less price than that 
asked by the local house, there is little opportunity to enter the 
market. It should be noted, however, that Uruguay offers a market 
for materials to be used in the manufacture of hospital furniture. 

BILLIARD HALLS. 

In Uruguay, as in Argentina, there is very little opportunity for 
selling billiard tables. The duties and freight charges make the 













76 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF URUGUAY. 


retail prices too high in comparison with those that are asked for 
the tables made in the country. Possibly there are 300 billiard tables 
in service in Montevideo. Of this number not more than 15 per cent 
were imported and practically all of those were shipped from an 
American factory in Buenos Aires. 

There are two or three shops in Montevideo that produce fairly 
good tables for $250 to $300 United States currency. The duty 
and surtaxes on an imported table amount to 62 per cent on a valua¬ 
tion of $200. When other charges are added the imported table be¬ 
comes very expensive. The actual manufacturing cost of the domes¬ 
tically made table is not any more than the duty and other expenses 
of an imported one. This explains why imported billiard tables do 
not sell well in Uruguay. In addition to this difficulty it is claimed 
that American tables have usually been in bad condition on arrival. 
It is believed that the long sea voyage through the different climates 
tends to loosen the veneers and open the joints. Considerable ex¬ 
pense is necessary to put such tables in good condition. Complaint 
also was made in regard to packing the stone tops. Many arrive 
broken. 

Uruguayan billiard-table dealers state that they do not think Amer¬ 
ican manufacturers will be able to compete with those of the 
country unless they are willing to build their tables in Uruguay. 
This would not be advisable, inasmuch as the market would not 
warrant the investment of the necessary capital. 

MARKET FOR FURNITURE HARDWARE AND TRIMMINGS. 

There is a good market for furniture hardware and trimmings in 
Uruguay. Before the war the greater part of this material came 
from Germany, especially the cheaper grades. The fine fittings and 
upholstering materials came from France and England. When Eu¬ 
ropean sources were cut off the furniture manufacturers turned to 
the United States for their supplies. Some domestic metal shops 
have begun to manufacture casters and locks on a small scale, but 
their product is not satisfactory for the better class of furniture. 
Since considerable furniture is manufactured in Uruguay, producers 
of suitable hardware and other trimmings should be able to obtain 
a fair amount of business if they offer the right articles for a favor¬ 
able price. 

As was previously noted, Uruguay also offers a market for ma¬ 
terials to be used in the manufacture of hospital equipment. 


V. METHODS OF MARKETING FURNITURE. 

SELLING THE DOMESTIC PRODUCT. 

The method of marketing the domestically made furniture in 
Uruguay is principally that of the producer’s dealing directly with 
the consumer. It ranges from transactions of a one-man business 
to that of a store employing several salesmen. The most primitive 
method is that of peddling furniture from house to house. It is not 
an uncommon sight to see a peddler- of furniture going through the 
streets of Montevideo carrying one or two small tables, a bookshelf, 
a cheap chair, etc., which he endeavors to sell to whom he can for 
whatever price his wares will bring. This type of furniture is 
very cheaply and poorly constructed, and is turned out by some 
carpenter in his home. 

Another method of marketing the domestic product is that of 
selling it to customers who go to small shops (and there is a great 
number of them) to have made to order what is desired. The cus¬ 
tomer explains what is wanted, and furnishes a rough sketch, 
photograph, newspaper clipping, or a page from a catalogue, and 
the article is made accordingly. There is no fixed price. The car¬ 
penter asks what he thinks he can get, and the buyer pays or objects. 
A very great percentage of the poorer class obtain their furniture in 
this way. The product is cheaply made, but it serves its purpose, 
and can be had for a comparatively low price. 

A third method is that of the dealer’s having a retail store and 
selling furniture which has been made for him in small shops in 
various parts of the city. He employs no cabinetmakers, contracting 
with owners of small carpenter shops to furnish his stock. He ob¬ 
tains his furniture as cheaply as possible and retails it for what he 
can get. As a rule the furniture handled by such shops is better than 
that sold in the streets. The prices are accordingly somewhat higher 
and the furniture is purchased by a better class of people than that 
which buys the first-mentioned grades. 

The fourth method of marketing the domestic product is that of 
the dealer’s being himself the manufacturer and selling direct to 
the consumer. In this case the dealer has his exhibits and salesrooms 
on one of the principal streets of the city where he displays the fin¬ 
ished product. His shops may or may not be in the same building. 
In some instances the manufacturer, who is also the dealer, handles 
a few pieces of imported furniture and a line of cheap foreign-made 
chairs. He is not a manufacturer of any one particular kind of furni¬ 
ture, but makes anything, according to specifications, in his design 
or those of his clients. Catalogues of foreign manufacturers play a 
large part in the designing of this furniture, there being very little 
originality displayed. 

In Montevideo there are about 230 native furniture dealers of 
various degrees of importance selling the domestic product, but there 
are not mor$ than four or five worthy of consideration. 


77 


78 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF URUGUAY. 


SELLING IMPORTED FURNITURE. 

HOUSE AND OFFICE FURNITURE. 

Office furniture is largely sold in Uruguay by two or three local 
importers who represent American manufacturers. They buy on 
a liberal discount basis and, before the war, carried fairiy large 
stocks. A growing demand is being created for the American prod¬ 
uct, and this is due not only to the goods themselves, which please 
the people, but also to the men who are handling them. It is true that 
the American office furniture has met very little or no competition, 
but no small part of the success of its sale is the result of the activi¬ 
ties of the agents. The manufacturers who are selling their furniture 
in Uruguay are particularly fortunate in having representatives 
who are numbered among the most progressive business men of the 
country. Considerable advertising and other propaganda work has 
been carried on by these people, and their efforts have resulted in 
many of the important business houses adopting modern office 
equipment. 

Chairs of both medium and cheap grades are being sold through 
local importers who, as a rule, buy on a discount basis and keep on 
hand fairly large stocks. The Austrian bent-wood chairs have been 
imported in large quantities by some firms, Uruguay being a good 
market for this type of furniture. An increasing demand has been 
created for American chairs of cheap and medium grades for office 
use. One or two of the best native dealers also carry a line of Ameri¬ 
can and Austrian chairs which they purchase directly from the 
manufacturers or jobbers. 

That a very great part of the imported house furniture sold in 
Uruguay is supplied by European manufacturers, is due to the inter¬ 
est they have taken in that market and to their method of selling 
their product. A well-known English firm of London has a branch 
house in Montevideo which solicits trade from the better class of 
people. Many wealthy persons of Montevideo and surrounding‘ter¬ 
ritory go to this firm’s house in Buenos Aires, which is the most 
magnificent furniture store in South America. It carries a com¬ 
plete stock from which to select and is only an overnight’s trip by 
boat from Montevideo. If the client does not require the furniture 
immediately, the order is placed with the London factory and the 
shipment made directly to Uruguay to avoid the payment of double 
duties. This firm has established a good reputation in Uruguay as 
well as in other South American countries and its trade is increasing. 

Another English firm of Buenos Aires has a representative in 
Montevideo who operates one of the best retail furniture stores in the 
city. This store is owned by Englishmen who retail imported Eng¬ 
lish furniture. The house manufactures locally some of the cheapest 
grades in order to supply a certain class of trade. It has handled 
some American brass beds since the outbreak of the war, but this 
business will, no doubt, be discontinued when normal trade condi¬ 
tions are reestablished. 

Two or three of the best native furniture dealers have imported 
some French, Italian, and American house furniture, but this trade 
has not been important. Especially is this true of the American 
product, and it is doubtful if the United States manufacturers will 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF URUGUAY. 


79 


receive much business in this way. Good American furniture is not 
generally known in Uruguay, and there will be very little call for it 
as long as the present method of marketing it is continued. When 
American furniture is ordered it usually comes at the risk of the 
purchaser, who must wait several months before it arrives and also 
stand the loss if it is damaged in transit. The amount of house fur¬ 
niture sold in Uruguay by the American manufacturers is in direct 
proportion to the amount of effort they have put forth to establish 
a trade in that country. It is in great contrast to the quantity of 
house furniture the European manufacturers have been able to sell 
through their branch houses and representatives with the good sales 
service which they maintain. 

SCHOOL FURNITURE. 

The purchases of all school equipment are made by the National 
Government, under whose jurisdiction all public schools of the Re¬ 
public are united. The Government acquires school furniture 
through the Government board of primary instruction. Sealed bids 
are submitted by direct representatives of the manufacturers who 
must be on the ground and must be known to be responsible per¬ 
sons. For this reason it is advisable for American manufacturers to 
appoint a reputable house in Montevideo to represent them. In most 
instances a local firm is in much better position to handle the mat¬ 
ter than a manufacturer or his traveling agent. Importers of school 
furniture carry no stocks, due to the method used by the Uruguayan 
Government in purchasing. 

Manufacturers interested in placing their catalogues in the hands of 
school officials should address them to the Direccion General de In- 
strucion Primaria, Avenida 18 de Julio, Montevideo, Uruguay. 

QUOTATIONS AND TERMS OF PAYMENT. 

The terms of payment granted vary considerably and usually 
depend upon the importer. In some cases 60 to 90 days’ sight or 
even longer time from date of arrival of the goods is allowed, drafts 
of acceptance being sent to the dealer’s bank. In other instances 
the importers pay cash in order to take advantage of discounts. 
Manufacturers should be prepared to give a reasonable amount of 
credit to reliable firms. Credit information is available on practi¬ 
cally every dealer in Uruguay, inasmuch as the merchants and banks 
cooperate for the protection thus afforded. The National City Bank 
of New York has a branch in Montevideo which would, no doubt, 
provide information concerning local firms to manufacturers inter¬ 
ested in the market. 

Quotations of weights and measurements should be written in the 
metric system. This is an important feature of the trade and should 
be given consideration. Manufacturers will be able to facilitate trade 
if they are in a position to quote prices c. i. f. Montevideo in Uru¬ 
guayan currency. (One peso=$1.0342 United States currency at 
normal rate of exchange.) Spanish should be used in all corre¬ 
spondence unless the manufacturer knows the firm importing to be 
either English or American. 


80 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF URUGUAY. 


PACKING, MARKING, AND BILLING. 

Packing should be carefully and economically done. Knocked- 
down shipments should be made when possible without causing the 
dealer too great inconvenience in setting up the furniture. Cases 
should be strongly constructed and reenforced with iron straps. 

The marking of boxes should be done with durable ink. The name, 
initial, or mark of the dealer, together with his address, should 
appear in a prominent place on the case. Also, the correct gross and 
net weights indicated in kilos should be clearly printed in a place 
readily seen. If there are several cases in the same shipment they 
should be numbered consecutively and the numbers should agree 
with those found in the consular and shipping documents. 

The importance of precise billing is well emphasized by Dr. Frank 
R. Rutter in “ Tariff Systems of South American Countries,” p. 281 , 
as follows: 

In view of the insistence of exact deqlarations, in both the manifest and the 
entry, it is essential that the utmost care be used by shippers in marking cases 
and in describing the goods that are shipped. The importer is dependent 
exclusively upon the information furnished by the exporter, and any variation 
between the statements in the invoice and the goods themselves is likely to lead 
to the imposition of fines or even confiscation of part of the goods. In a large 
shipment of iron safes two were inadvertently numbered “ 12.” One of them 
weighed 290 kilos and the other 100 kilos. The entire shipment was stored 
and when a purchaser was found for the smaller safe application for the entry 
of No. 12 was made, the weight being declared as 100 kilos. Unfortunately 
for the importer, the safe actually brought from the warehouse was the other 
No. 12, having almost three times the specified weight. In place of forfeiture 
a fine of 800 pesos ($828) was imposed. 

All instructions given by the customer concerning packing, mark¬ 
ing, and shipping of his goods should receive most careful attention. 


Special Agents Series No. 183. 








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SHE 


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PIG. H.—PARLOR FURNITURE MADE IN URUGUAY BY AN ENGLISH HOUSE. 








































Special Agents Series No. 183. 



FIG. 15.—TYPE OF FURNITURE USED IN MOST MUNICIPAL AND GOVERNMENT OFFICES IN URUGUAY. 





















VI. SUMMARY. 


Although Uruguay is the smallest of the South American Repub¬ 
lics in point of area and has a population less than that of the city of 
Philadelphia, it was, before the war, the fourth best South American 
purchaser of furniture manufactured in the United States, being ex¬ 
ceeded only by Argentina, Brazil, and Chile. Uruguay’s importance 
as a furniture market is due, in part, to the country’s ease of access 
from the outside world and to its high purchasing power per capita, 
but chiefly to the fact that the inhabitants, on the whole, are an en¬ 
lightened, progressive people, who desire and endeavor to have mod¬ 
ern comforts and facilities of home and business life. Interest in the 
natural resources of the country has recently increased. Its products 
have been in demand, and prosperity has come to the nation in gen¬ 
eral. As a result Uruguay is in an excellent financial condition. 

In normal years the total furniture trade of Uruguay exceeded 
$300,000. The principal countries which participated in this trade 
were, in order of their importance, Germany, Great Britain, United 
States, and France. Germany’s favorable position was due to the 
fact that it secured the larger part of the chair business, its share of 
which in 1911 represented 36 per cent of all the wooden furniture im¬ 
ported. Great Britain was accredited with most of the trade in metal 
furniture, such as heavy steel safes and iron and brass beds. Practi¬ 
cally all of the office furniture and a considerable number of chairs 
came from the United States. 

The imports of fine house furniture have been almost entirely from 
English, French, and Italian manufacturers. This has been due prin¬ 
cipally to the style of their product and to their trade methods. The 
American manufacturers of fine house furniture have obtained very 
little of this business because of their apparent lack of interest in the 
market and the methods employed in selling their product. At pres¬ 
ent, American house furniture of high quality is practically unknown 
in this country. However, if the manufacturers will take more in¬ 
terest in Uruguay and its furniture needs, will give due consideration 
to the market demands, and will provide the necessary trade facili¬ 
ties, they may expect to increase their business very considerably. 

120314°—19-6 81 


Part 3.—PARAGUAY. 

I. INTRODUCTION. 

LOCATION AND CLIMATE. 

Paraguay, one of the two inland countries of South America, is 
bounded by the Republics of Argentina, Brazil, and Bolivia. It has 
an area of 196,000 square miles, which is approximately three and 
one-half times that of the State of Michigan. The population is 
estimated to be 800,000 inhabitants or slightly less than that of the 
city of Detroit. The country is divided into two large zones by the 
Paraguay River. That which lies east of the river is the settled 
portion of the Republic, and the western part, called the Grand 
Chaco, is practically unknown and is inhabited by Indians. 

The climate of Paraguay is subtropical, two-thirds of the country 
being within the Temperate Zone. The average temperature for the 
year is 72° F. The annual rainfall is 65 inches. 

TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES. 

While Paraguay is an inland country it has good communication 
with the outside world. The means of approach are by river from 
Buenos Aires and Montevideo, and by rail from Buenos Aires. 
Three companies have steamers leaving Buenos Aires for Asuncion 
several times a week. Excellent boats leave Sunday morning and 
reach the capital of Paraguay on the following Thursday. These 
boats are very well fitted with modern conveniences and compare 
favorably with those plying on the Hudson River. The round-trip 
fare is $70. The steamers leaving on midweek days are not so 
luxurious as those of the Sunday service and are equipped for only 
a limited number of passengers. Merchandise en route for Paraguay 
from the United States or Europe is usually transshipped at Monte¬ 
video instead of at Buenos Aires, as it can generally be cleared 
with less loss of time. The freight rate from the two points to 
Asuncion is the same, averaging $6 per ton of 40 cubic feet. 

Weekly through-train service is now provided between Buenos 
Aires and Asuncion. The journey is made in two and one-half days. 
Dining and sleeping cars of good accommodations are provided. 
The railroad passes along the eastern border of Argentina, enter¬ 
ing Paraguay across the upper part of the Parana River at Encar- 
nacion. It taps the most thickly populated and best cultivated por¬ 
tion of the country and offers fair competition to the river route. 

PRINCIPAL CITIES. 

The principal city and distributing center of the country is Asun¬ 
cion, 1,000 miles up the Paraguay River from Buenos Aires. It is 
the capital of the Republic and practically the only center of any 
commercial importance to the manufacturers. The population is 
82 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF PARAGUAY. 


83 


estimated to be 80,000. The city has a good natural river harbor 
averaging 10 feet in depth. An electric car and lighting service has 
been installed and other new improvements made, which are giving 
Asuncion an aspect of a modem city. 

Villa Rica, having a population of 30,000, is the second city of the 
country. It is situated in the midst of a rich agricultural and forest 
region 90 miles southeast of Asuncion on the main line of the rail¬ 
way to Buenos Aires. The third city of the country is Villa Con¬ 
cepcion with a population of 25,000. 

RESOURCES AND INDUSTRIES. 

The most important industries of Paraguay are agriculture, cattle¬ 
raising, and lumbering. The country’s chief resources are raw ma¬ 
terials. Cattle-raising is becoming more and more important. It is 
estimated that the country contains 5,000,000 head of cattle. The 
meat-packing industry has developed rapidly since the outbreak of 
the war. Recently two or three American meat-packing houses have 
been established in the country, which will tend to have a favorable 
influence upon the business relations of the United States and Para¬ 
guay. Tobacco is one of the leading crops and is increasing in im¬ 
portance as an article of export. It is competing with other tobaccos 
found in the European market. Indigo and sugar-cane yield 
abundantly and the forest furnishes many varied and valuable prod¬ 
ucts. The country has great possibilities of becoming a heavier pro¬ 
ducer of cotton. Paraguay is rich in natural resources and enjoys 
an excellent climate. With progressive people and sufficient capital, 
it will undoubtedly experience considerable industrial and commer¬ 
cial growth. 

FOREIGN TRADE. 

Paraguay, like most South American countries, has been greatly 
affected by the war. The total foreign trade for the year 1913 was 
valued at $13,269,643, of which $7,835,797 represented imports and 
$5,433,846 exports. During 1914 there was a considerable decrease 
in the trade of the country, the total amounting to but $9,393,139, of 
which $4,969,234 was the value of the imports and $4,423,905 that 
of the exports. This was a decrease in the total trade of $3,876,504, 
or 28.5 per cent. The year 1915 shows another decrease. During 
this period the exports were $5,419,606 and the imports $2,321,682. 
In 1916 there was a slight increase in the total trade, the exports 
being valued at $4,691,519 and the imports at $4,515,268. Ap¬ 
parently, the years of 1915 and 1916 show a favorable trade balance 
(exports over imports) of $3,097,924 and $176,251, respectively. 

Paraguay, however, received very little benefit, as the gold currency 
in circulation was not materially increased. This was due largely 
to the fact that the majority of the owners and operators of in¬ 
dustries in the country producing goods for export do not live or 
transact business in the Republic. This has caused a scarcity of 
gold currency which has resulted in a great depreciation in the ex¬ 
change rate of paper money. For, it should be stated, Paraguay 
has no coinage of gold or silver. The finance of the country is based 
on unconvertible paper money whose fluctuating value forms one 


84 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF PARAGUAY. 


of the most disconcerting features of the foreign trade. The rate 
of exchange is based on the value of the Argentine paper currency, 
and, according to the demand, changes from day to day. The un¬ 
stable condition of the country’s money has worked hardships on 
the merchants and the consumers. In order to protect themselves 
from loss, importers usually transact business on a very wide margin 
of exchange, which results in high prices for the imported products. 

The principal items of export are canned and dried beef, hides, 
tobacco, quebracho wood, yerba mate, fruit, and fine lace. Ac¬ 
cording to the Paraguayan statistics, this trade has been as follows: 


Countries. 

1913 

1914 

1915 

1916 

1917 

Argentina. 

France . 

$3,393,342 

32,897 

1,192,506 

157 

$2,621,168 

49.210 
782,116 
111,503 
106,839 

78,215 

10,668 

569,975 

94.211 

$3,509,999 

68,261 

$3,450,081 

125,372 

$8,643,265 

310,320 

Germany. 

United Kingdom. 

Netherlands. 

190,345 

533,285 

63,200 

292,411 

553,941 

208,164 

77,225 

74,610 

359,957 

226,115 

221,259 

56,900 

58,649 

2,432 

1,023,361 

357,060 

785,210 

115,039 

Spain. 

25,065 

United States. 

Uruguay.. 

Allother. 

Total. 

670,349 

119,530 

5,433,846 

4,423,905 

5,419,606 

4,691,519 

11,295,336 


Note.—T he statistics for 1917 are based on actual values, while those for the other years are tariff valua¬ 
tions. Actual values of exports for 1914 are estimated at $5,364,248; 1915, $8,579,814; 1916, $8,542,101. 


The principal imports are textiles, foodstuffs, hardware, fancy 
goods, wines and spirits, pharmaceutical products, and ready-made 
clothing. The following table shows the total imports and the rela¬ 
tive standing of the leading nations in the trade for the years 1913 
to 1917, the statistics being the tariff valuations: 


Countries. 


Argentina.. 

France.. 

Germany.. 

United Kingdom 

Italy. 

Spam.. 

United States.... 
All other.. 


1913 

1914 

1915 

1916 

1917 

$1,052,001 

518,299 

2,165,386 

2,242,692 

477,479 

414,978 

403,686 

561,276 

$897,833 
250,113 
1,349,072 
1,132,154 
343,845 
270,534 
413,937 
311,746 

$761,409 
56,463 
160,836 
767,062 
168,810 
113,132 
209,148 
84,822 

$1,545,063 

70,428 

31,010 

1,736,042 

254,912 

174,301 

561,761 

141,751 

$1,794,121 

74,409 

17,264 

1,442,164 

131,082 

298,884 

837,661 

324,526 

7,835,797 

4,969,234 

2,321,682 

4,515,268 

4,920,111 


Total. 










































II. STATISTICS OF FURNITURE IMPORTS. 


Paraguay imports a smaller quantity of furniture than any other 
Republic of South America and can not be considered a very attrac¬ 
tive market for the near future. Of the total population of 800,000 
inhabitants not more than 7 per cent are consumers of imported 
goods, and the per cent of those who purchase foreign-made furni¬ 
ture is even more insignificant. In normal years the trade has not 
exceeded $35,000 per annum. During 1913 the total furniture im¬ 
ports were valued at $28,402, and in 1914 they fell off to $24,501. 
Since that date, the trade in furniture has been insignificant. The 
limited importation is due largely to the increase in prices, the un¬ 
favorable economic conditions, which were accentuated by the war, 
and the difficulty of obtaining shipments. However, the principal 
factor in the decline has been the cutting off of the chief source of 
supply, which was Germany. 

The following table shows the origin and value of the furniture 
imported by Paraguay in the years 1914, 1915, 1916, and 1917: 


Countries. 

1914 

1915 

1916 

1917 

Argentina. 

$3,674 

1,113 

$1,080 

49 

$4,015 

$3,238 

307 

France. 

Germany.... 

12,483 

1,918 

394 

416 


Italy. 


245 

Spain 

106 


United Kingdom_ 

750 

358 

386 

48 

United States. 

3,552 

555 

292 

177 

1,945 

50 

Uruguay. 

94 

25 

All other. 

62 

26 

497 



Total. 

24,501 

2,395 

4,629 

6,330 



Detailed statistical information relative to the importation of 
furniture into Paraguay is very limited. No classification is offered 
and there is no possible means of obtaining an accurate estimate 
of the value of each of the various kinds of furniture imported 
into the country. However, the greater part of the furniture used 
in Paraguay is made by the local carpenters. That which is im¬ 
ported consists chiefly of cheap chairs, metal beds, washstands, a 
very little office furniture, and a limited amount of high-grade house 
furniture. 

The figures in the table above do not represent true values. For 
customs and statistical purposes the imports have been reckoned 
according to a certain arbitrary valuation per unit of quantity, 
which has not been changed with the gradual advance of prices. 
For example, the values given for 1916 and 1917 are at least 50 per 
cent below the actual costs. The duty charged on furniture is 62 
per cent, plus a surtax of 1.5 per cent, on fixed valuations that were 
assessed in 1909. 


85 


























86 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF PARAGUAY. 


Before the war the furniture imported came principally from 
Germany, Argentina, United States, and France. Germany took 
first place in this trade with more than 50 per cent of the total. 
Imports from that country consisted mainly of Austrian bent-wood 
chairs and a small amount of cheap metal furniture, such as iron 
washstands, tables, and folding chairs. Argentina, which in 1914 
held 14.9 per cent of the trade, enjoyed 51 per cent of the total for 
1917, but without actually increasing the volume of business done. 
The Argentine trade has been largely in fine furniture purchased 
in Buenos Aires by Paraguayans who wanted something more ele¬ 
gant than was made in the country. Imports from the United 
States have consisted chiefly in cheap wooden chairs and a very 
little office furniture, such as desks and revolving desk-chairs. Some 
of the trade accredited to Argentina was in furniture purchased 
in the United States and resold to Paraguay. France and Italy sup¬ 
plied the fine furniture, such as gilded parlor suites, while Great 
Britain was favored with some trade in metal beds and a very small 
amount of house furniture. 


III. MARKET FOR PARTICULAR KINDS OF FURNITURE. 

HOUSE FURNITURE. 

The Paraguayan market for foreign-made furniture is very 
limited. The masses are poor and their needs can be supplied by 
a few ordinary articles of domestic manufacture. The cheapest 
grade of domestic bedroom furniture can be bought for the follow¬ 
ing prices: Wardrobes $30, washstands $8, tables $5, and wooden 
beds $5 to $15, depending upon the size. Extension dining-room 
tables are sold for $10 and up, sideboards $20 to $30, cabinets $10 
to $20. These prices are for very ordinary articles. There are few 
people in the country who are able to pay the prices asked for the 
imported product. That turned out by the native shops, though very 
plain and poorly constructed, costs much less and serves very well. 
The better class of people, who can afford good furniture, order it 
from Buenos Aires or from other cities abroad, but their number 
is small. 

Cheap chairs are salable in Paraguay because the local furniture 
shops are unable to make them. The market consumes a fair num¬ 
ber and has used the Austrian bent-wood type for many years. This 
kind of chair is preferred to any other because of its adaptability to 
the market requirements and its favorable price which was $15 and 
up per dozen. Some American cheap chairs have been imported, 
especially since the war has cut off the importation of Austrian 
goods. 

Metal beds have been imported, but they are more expensive than 
the domestically made wooden beds which are in general use. Only 
the more wealthy people can afford to purchase metal beds, and there 
will be very little demand for those made of iron or brass. 

OFFICE FURNITURE. 

Some office furniture, such as desks and chairs, has found a market 
in Paraguay, but there is very little demand for the imported article, 
due to its high cost. Both flat-top and roll-top desks are used, but 
the flat-top predominates. Desks which serve the purpose are made 
by the local carpenters for $20 and up. This is much less than the 
price paid for a similar article purchased abroad. The only importer 
of office desks in Paraguay does not purchase more than 10 or 12 
desks per year. There is np demand for modern filing cabinets of 
either wood or steel. The cardboard box still serves to hold the 
correspondence and business records. Possibly not more than a 
half-dozen files can be found in the city of Asuncion, and, at present, 
there is no prospect of selling more. Most business houses are small 
and have not yet felt the need of time-saving office devices. 

PUBLIC-BUILDING FURNITURE. 

The only market for public-building furniture has been the Gov¬ 
ernment, which purchased school furniture. The country has made 
excellent progress in public education. The attendance at the public 

87 


88 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF PARAGUAY. 


schools has gradually increased. In 1909 there were 358 elementary 
schools with an enrollment of 40,259 pupils. In 1915 the number of 
public schools was 540 with a total enrollment of almost 80,000 
pupils. Instruction is given in elementary, high, and normal schools. 
The country also has one college and a commercial school. In 1912 
several hundred school desks were purchased in the United States. 
However, the possibility of further orders being made soon is doubt¬ 
ful, owing to the fact that school desks are made on contract by local 
carpenters. 



IV. FACTORS INFLUENCING TRADE. 

CONDITION OF DOMESTIC FURNITURE INDUSTRY. 


The furniture industry of Paraguay is still in a very primitive 
stage. It can not be said that the product is made in factories. The 
furniture establishments are nothing more than small shops where 
one or more carpenters are employed to make whatever is ordered. 
The business is carried on directly between the producer and the 
consumer, there being no retail stores. The manufacturer displays 
the finished product in a front room of his place of business where 
the customers come to buy. Every town and small settlement has 
one or more shops. The transportation facilities are so limited that 
furniture is very seldom shipped from one place to another. 

The furniture sold in the local shops is constructed of native wood. 
It is usually very simple in design and made entirely by hand. The 
machinery used usually consists of a circular saw and a surfacer to 
rough out stock. 

EFFECT OF DEPRECIATED CURRENCY. 

While the domestic product is only fair in quality and simple in 
construction, it meets the needs of most of the people. As it is made 
of native wood and paid for in paper money of the country it is much 
less costly than that imported, which must be paid for in gold. The 
requirement of payment in gold places the foreign-made furniture 
beyond the reach of the majority of the people. 

ENTRANCE OF FOREIGN CAPITAL. 

At present there is very little prospect of developing a greater de¬ 
mand for imported furniture in Paraguay. The majority of the in¬ 
habitants are poor, and the general financial condition is such that 
there is scarcely any demand for furniture. 

The future furniture trade will depend almost entirely upon the 
development of the country. American capital has entered Para¬ 
guay through investment in meat-packing establishments. This will 
tend to increase the price of cattle and bring greater revenue into the 
country. With the incoming of foreigners and increased facilities 
for the disposal of the country’s products there should be a gradual 
expansion of trade in all lines. Foreign business firms will require 
up-to-date office equipment and the people in charge will want good, 
comfortable furniture. The nation’s rich natural resources, its favor¬ 
able climate, and the increased interest the rest of the world is begin¬ 
ning to take in the country may lead to considerable commercial and 
industrial expansion and bring greater prosperity to Paraguay. 

S9 


V. TRADE METHODS AND SUGGESTIONS. 


Practically all the imported furniture in Paraguay is handled by 
one large dealer, who orders his stock directly from the manufac¬ 
turer or through wholesalers in Buenos Aires. Some furniture is 
brought in by wealthy people who make their purchases while in 
Europe or Argentina. 

The market for imported furniture is so small that it would not 
pay an American manufacturer to send a salesman to solicit the 
trade. It can best be reached through a wholesale importer or a rep¬ 
resentative established in Buenos Aires. 

The terms of payment granted in Paraguay vary greatly. Some 
firms will discount their bills for cash while others ask from two to 
six months’ time. The principal importer of furniture is one of the 
strongest firms, financially, in Paraguay, and no doubt would be 
willing to pay cash on a liberal discount basis. Credit information 
may be obtained from banks and commercial agencies in Buenos 
Aires from the Banco Mercantile, Banco Agricola, or the Banco 
de la Republica, of Asuncion. 

If possible, quotations should be made c. i. f. Buenos Aires or 
Montevideo in Argentine currency (1 peso=$0.965). Weights and 
measurements should be in the metric system. Spanish should be 
used in all correspondence. 

Packing for Paraguay should be especially good. Transshipments 
are made at Montevideo or Buenos Aires for Asuncion, and during 
the months when the river is low it is necessary to do some lightering 
before the goods finally reach their destination. 

90 


Part 4.—BRAZIL 

I. INTRODUCTION. 

AREA AND POPULATION. 

The Republic of Brazil, the largest and most populous of the 
South American countries, is situated in the eastern and central 
parts of the continent. It is the fourth largest country in the world, 
having an area of 3,280,905 square miles, or about 300,000 square 
miles more than the United States proper. The country has a popu¬ 
lation of approximately 26,542,000 inhabitants. Brazil occupies 40 
per cent of all the area of South America. Its extreme dimension 
from north to south is 2,630 miles and from east to west 2,700 miles. 
The coast line extends nearly 5,000 miles along the Atlantic Ocean 
from the boundary of French Guiana on the north to that of Uru¬ 
guay on the south. 

CLIMATE. 

Brazil lies almost wholly within the Southern Hemisphere, extend¬ 
ing from the North Torrid Zone into the South Temperate Zone. 
Every possible climate, from the extremely tropical to cool temper¬ 
ate, is therefore represented. The climatic conditions are affected 
materially by the altitudes. In the tropical northern and the cen¬ 
tral parts of the country the atmosphere is moist and the mean tem¬ 
perature is about 80° F. In the semitemperate divisions, which in¬ 
clude the mountainous parts of Brazil, the temperature averages 
65° F. 

Brazil is possessed of such diverse climatic and physical charac¬ 
teristics and has such different types of people composing its popu¬ 
lation, that it can not be considered as a unit either geographically 
or economically. This necessitates the consideration of the country 
perature is about 80° F. In the semitemperate divisions, which in¬ 
dustrial and commercial activities, and, in many respects, in its trade 
requirements. 

PRINCIPAL COMMERCIAL DIVISIONS. 

Trade customs have divided Brazil into three grand divisions. 
The first of these is in the northern part of the country, and includes 
the States of Amazonas, Para, Maranhao, Piauhy, and a large part 
of Matto Grosso and Goyaz. This region has a high temperature 
and superabundant rainfall, and is covered with dense tropical for¬ 
ests. The chief industry is rubber gathering. Collecting nuts and 
other forest products is also an important activity. This section 
includes almost two-thirds of the entire area of Brazil, but it is 
sparsely settled, having a population of only 3,000,000, the greater 

91 


92 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF BRAZIL. 


per cent of.which is Indian or part Indian. This is the part of Bra¬ 
zil least suited to immigration of foreign people, and for the present 
will not offer a rapidly growing market for imported products. 

The second, or central, commercial division is the region included 
in the States of Ceara, Rio Grande do Norte, Parahyba, Pernambuco, 
Alagoas, Sergipe, and Bahia. Although it is in the tropical area, 
its climate is not so warm as that of the States to the north; and 
such products as cotton, tobacco, sugar, and cacao are grown in 
large quantities, and are exported in greater amounts than from 
any other part of the country. The total,area of this section is 
342,000 square miles and the population is 6,725,000. This division 
is gradually increasing in commercial importance. 

The third, or southern commercial division, includes the States 
of Espirito Santo, Bio de Janeiro, Minas Geraes, Sao Paulo, Parana, 
Santa Catharina, and Rio Grande do Sul. As a greater part of this 
section is on a high plateau the climate is temperate. The chief agri¬ 
cultural product is coffee, the total production of which represents 
two-thircls of the. world’s supply. . Stock raising, lumbering, and 
mining are other important industries. There are many waterfalls 
in this region which are used to produce power. The cheap power, 
the supply of raw materials, and the good climate which this sec¬ 
tion has will cause it to become the chief manufacturing center of 
Brazil. Already hundreds of small factories have been established, 
and furniture-making is one of the most important of the manu¬ 
facturing industries. 

The area of the southern commercial division is 584,000 square 
miles. The population is more than 14,000,000, a large part of which 
is made up of immigrants from Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, 
and other countries. Because of the favorable climate, the indus¬ 
trial advantages of this section, and the class of people that in¬ 
habit it, the southern division is a good market for almost all kinds 
of imported goods. 

MEANS OF COMMUNICATION. 

The lack of adequate transportation facilities to the various parts 
of the country plays an important part in separating Brazil into 
different economic and trade sections. The only means of com¬ 
munication between Para in the north and Porto Alegre in the 
south are the ocean-going vessels that operate up and down the 
coast. The railroads of Brazil are found almost entirely in the 
central and southern parts of the country; in the main they run at 
right angles to the coast, starting at some port and extending into 
the country in some instances for hundreds of miles. These rail¬ 
roads penetrate the northern interior at relatively infrequent in¬ 
tervals, but become more numerous toward the south. Railways 
are developing in Brazil parallel to the coast along the plateau; but, 
except for short distances, water transportation is generally used. 
Because Brazil is a country of vast distances, much time is re¬ 
quired to go from one important trade center to another, and in 
many instances merchants in the central division find it less diffi¬ 
cult to keep in touch with the trade conditions in London or New 
York than to be well informed about those in the northern part of 
their own country. 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF BRAZIL. 


93 


CHIEF COMMERCIAL CENTERS. 

Manaos and Para, the two principal cities of the northern divi¬ 
sion, have a population of 82,000 and 280,000, respectively. Manaos, 
the center of Brazil’s rubber industry, is situated on the Amazon 
River 1,000 miles from its mouth, and because of its location is 
inaccessible to most American travelers. On the most easterly arm 
of the Amazon delta, about 85 miles from the sea, is the port of 
Belem—generally called Para, the name of the State of which it 
is the capital. It is the most important city in northern Brazil and 
is the receiving and distributing center for the entire Amazon 
Valley. The city is dependent on the rubber industry, the condition 
of which is reflected by its commercial activities. Manaos and Para 
do not rank very high among the furniture markets of Brazil, as is 
indicated by the fact that only about 8 per cent of the total Bra¬ 
zilian import of 1913 entered through these ports. 

Pernambuco and Bahia, with populations of 250,000 and 350,000, 
respectively, are the most important cities of the central division. 
From Pernambuco large quantities of agricultural products, such 
as sugar, tobacco, and cotton, are shipped. Bahia, the oldest city 
in Brazil, is also an important outlet for large quantities of sugar, 
coffee, cacao, tobacco, and hides. Vessels to and from the United 
States and Europe call at this port to discharge and take on cargoes. 

Sao Paulo, of which Santos is the port, is 12 hours by train from 
Rio de Janeiro and 2 hours from Santos. It is the principal com¬ 
mercial center of the country. Its population is approximately 
500,000 and is rapidly growing. As the city is situated on a plateau 
which has an altitude of 2,500 feet at this point, the climate is 
delightful. Because of the excellent health conditions, fine trans¬ 
portation facilities, and the progressive nature of the inhabitants 
thousands of small manufacturing industries have sprung up and 
Sao Paulo is destined to become the greatest manufacturing center 
of Brazil, if not of all South America. Furniture manufacturing 
is carried on considerably in Sao Paulo, as well as in Rio de Janeiro, 
and much of the furniture needed in the country is supplied by the 
shops in these two cities. With a large quantity of beautiful cabinet 
woods near at hand and a good supply of efficient labor furniture of 
unusual beauty and good quality can be produced at a moderate cost. 
The fact that Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro have the advantages 
mentioned above has resulted in their being able to supply a great 
part of their furniture needs. Therefore they offer only a fair 
market for the imported product. 

Porto Alegre is the most important city in the southernmost part 
of Brazil. It numbers approximately 160,000 inhabitants. It is a 
live industrial center. Several important furniture factories are 
located there, one or two of which ship their product to all parts of 
the country. Because of the progress Porto Alegre has made in the 
manufacture of furniture this city and the district which it serves 
do not offer a market of any importance for the sale of imported 
furniture. 


94 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF BRAZIL. 


FOREIGN TRADE. 

In 1913 the total foreign trade of Brazil amounted to $641,593,197, 
of which $326,428,510 represented the value of the imports and 
$315,164,687 the exports. The purchases of the United States from 
Brazil in 1913 amounted to $102,562,923, or more than twice as much 
as those of any other country. The preponderance of the exports 
from Brazil to the United States was due to the fact that the Ameri¬ 
can people are large consumers of coffee and rubber, Brazil’s two 
chief products for export. During 1913 the imports into Brazil 
from the leading nations were divided approximately as follows: 
Great Britain, 24.5 per cent; Germany, 17.5 per cent; the United 
States, 15.7 per cent; and France, 9.8 per cent. That the United 
States ranked only third as a source of Brazil’s imports was due 
largely to the fact that Brazil is heavily in debt to Europe for mer¬ 
chandise and for capital loaned to the Government and invested in 
industrial enterprise. As a result, Europe had a trade predomi¬ 
nance, and the greater part of the proceeds of the Brazilian coffee 
sold to the United States paid for Brazilian imports from Europe. 

Although Pernambuco and Bahia are the most important centers 
or commerce in the central division, they are not important markets 
for imported furniture. A large percentage of their population 
is Negro and Indian and their admixtures. These people are poor, 
ignorant, and without ambition. Their standards of life are simple 
and they need but few goods that are not produced in their own 
vicinity. 

Bio de Janeiro, Santos, Sao Paulo, Bio Grande do Sul and Porto 
Alegre are the most important centers in the southern division. 
Bio de Janeiro is the capital and the largest city in the Bepublic. It 
has a population of 1,500,000. It is situated on a natural harbor 
and, for native charm, is the most beautiful city in South America. 
It is the seat of the Federal Government and the center of Brazil’s 
social and cultural life. Extensive improvements, effected at great 
cost, have made Bio de Janeiro a very healthful and attractive city. 

By 1915 the United States had gained first place among the coun¬ 
tries supplying Brazil with merchandise; and in 1916 the United 
States was credited with almost 40 per cent of that country’s im¬ 
port trade. This was largely due to the fact that the war had cut 
off most of the former sources of goods in Europe and the Brazilian 
merchants were compelled to look to the United States for their 
supplies. 

In 1916 the total foreign trade of Brazil amounted to $467,435,354, 
as compared with $398,196,290 in 1915, and $370,218,889 in 1914. The 
trade balance for 1916 was $78,271,047, which was larger than it has 
been in any year since 1910, with the exception of 1915. In 1917 
Brazil’s foreign trade reached the sum of $505,393,337, of which 
$290,932,422 represented the exports and $214,460,915 the imports. 
During that year Brazil’s imports from the United States amounted 
to $101,091,945, which was approximately 47 per cent of the total. 
Brazilian trade for 1918 is estimated as follows: Imports, $247,351,- 
250; exports, $284,275,000; total foreign trade, $531,626,250. The 
value of imports from the United States was $88,982,750. 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF BRAZIL. 


95 


Whether or not the United States is to maintain its lead in Bra¬ 
zilian trade depends largely upon the willingness of American capi¬ 
talists to make investments in Brazil which will support that coun¬ 
try’s imports from the United States. American capital invested 
now in Brazil will greatly contribute to the continuance of trade re¬ 
cently gained and will materially assist in maintaining the position 
of the United States as the principal exporter to Brazil. The oppor¬ 
tunities presented by the enormous undeveloped resources of the 
largest of the South American countries merit the closest attention 
from far-sighted American investors. 


n. STATISTICS OF FURNITURE DIPORTS. 


During the period from 1908 to 1913 the value of Brazil’s furni¬ 
ture imports increased from $679,S42 to $1,018,727. Although in 
1913 Brazil teas the second largest South American purchaser of 
imported furniture, vet compared with other furniture markets of 
that continent, it had a low rate per capita. The combined popu¬ 
lation of the West Coast countries is 11.560,000. During 1913 their 
total furniture imports were valued at $1,251,688. In the same year 
Uruguay, with a population of only 1.500,000, imported furniture 
to the value of more than $300,000*; Argentina, with 8.000,000 in¬ 
habitants, purchased furniture to the value of $2,809,491; while 
Brazil, with a population three times that of Argentina, imported 
only $1,048,727 worth of furniture. This represents one-half the 
amount per capita purchased by the West Coast countries and one- 
ninth of the amount per capita imported by Argentina during 1913. 

Since 1913 the value of Brazil’s furniture imports has gradually 
declined until in 1917 it totaled only $160,121. This represents a 
loss of 85 per cent of the trade in four years. The decrease was due 
to importing difficulties and to the rapid improvement and expan¬ 
sion of the domestic industry, which can now supply the larger part 
of the furniture needs of the country. 

The principal classes of furniture imported by Brazil have been 
those manufactured of iron, wood, and cane, bamboo and rattan. 
The iron furniture consisted mostly of cheap chairs, tables and 
washstands, which formerly were not made in the country. The im¬ 
ports of wooden furniture were made up largely of the cheap Aus¬ 
trian bent-wood product. While some high-priced French furni¬ 
ture has been imported, the greater part of the trade has been in 
ordinary grades. 

A study of the available sources of information on the imports 
of furniture into Brazil reveals the fact that there are no statistics 
which offer an adequate classification of all the articles that might 
be included in the term furniture. There are no possible means of 
arriving at any but an approximate estimate of the values of the 
various kinds of furniture that have been imported into the Re¬ 
public. 

IMPORTS CLASSIFIED BY COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN. 

The statistics below give the imports of furniture into Brazil for 
the years 1913. 1911. 1915, 1916. and 1917, according to the official 
classifications. The value of the paper milreis in United States gold 
for these vears is given bv the Brazilian Statistical Office as follows: 
1913. $0,321: 1911. $0.282: 1915. $0,248: 1916. $0.24; 1917. $0,256. 
But. for more convenient comparison, the statistics below are con¬ 
verted at the rate of $0.25 to the milreis. 

96 


Special Agents Series No. 183. 



FIG. 16.—FINE PARLOR FURNITURE MADE IN SAO PAULO, BRAZIL. 
This furniture was manufactured in the shops of the Lyceo de Artes e Officios. 






















Special Agents Series No. 193. 



FIQ. 17.-DINING-ROOM SUITE OF FINE QlJAl I f Y MADE IN BRAZIL. 

I hla furniture Is made entirely by native labor and of Brazilian Jaoaranda Rosa, or rosewood 










































FURNITURE MARKETS OF BRAZIL 


97 


Countries of origin. 

1913 

1914 

1915 

1916 

1917 

WOOD FURNITURE . 






Argentina. 

$4,923 
297,713 

$886 

$984 

$624 

$4,082 

Austria-Hungary. 

110,493 

1,828 

36,545 

12,332 

Belgium_. 

3,670 
107,582 
75,556 
34,369 
23,763 

392 



France. . 

19,676 

2,414 

10,708 

21,238 

9,187 

Germany. 

64,680 



Great Britain. 

43)615 

7,763 

9,400 

1,473 

Italy.. 

4,221 

4,706 

3^992 

Japan. 

528 




Portugal. 

10,330 

3,827 

4,351 

1,453 

2,946 

Spain. 

2,494 

2,171 

796 

600 

44 


Sweden. 

650 

44 

1,579 

22,979 

5,112 


United States. 

69,805 

12,474 

6,068 

63,459 

26,501 
1,717 

' 40,033 

3,166 

Uruguay. 

4,326 

1,174 

All other countries. 

l) 780 

507 

29 




Total. 

651,446 

336,500 

86,205 

65,291 

70,320 


IRON AND STEEL FURNITURE. 






Argentina. 

85 

614 

1,401 

324 

279 

Austria-Hungary. 

1,762 


Belgium. 

232 

2,280 




France. 

14,986 

87,825 

53,402 

3,336 

477 

4,005 

223 

Germany. 

15,155 
21,202 

2,862 

12,364 

Great Britain. 

17,165 

1,954 

13,060 

Italy.. .. 

l',344 

623 

666 

Spam. 

182 


Portugal. 

363 

167 

39 

21 

7 

Switzerland... 

405 

43 

1,942 

15,040 

81 


United States. 

83,244 

31,904 

26,570 

62 

45,099 

Uruguay. 

l)605 

90 

928 

263 

277 

All other countries. 

844 

127 




Total. 

245,525 

77,096 

35,181 

50,182 

58,945 


FURNITURE OF CANE, RATTAN, BAMBOO, REED, ETC. 






Austria-Hungary. 

29 

201 




France. 

1,485 

773 

23 

178 

73 

Germany. 

5,320 

1,789 

879 

Great Britain. 

471 

751 

558 

438 


Italy. 

86 

219 

41 


United States. 

2,032 

253 

28 

1,151 

1,327 

Uruguay. 

14 

93 


All other countries. 

583 

76 

207 

255 

40 


Total. 

10,020 

4,062 

1,829 

2,022 

1,440 



OFFICE DESKS OF WOOD. 

Argentina. 


54 



23 

France. 

98 

10 


45 

Germany. 

37 



Great Britain. 

689 

1,395 

4,188 

96 



United States. 

11,241 

16 

1,524 

1,067 

458 

Uruguay. 






Total. 

12,081 

5,637 

1,630 

1,067 

526 


BILLIARD TABLES AND PARTS. 

Argentina. 



559 

329 


Belgium.. 

240 



France... . 

2,412 

1,260 

317 

835 



Germany. 

'513 

1,333 

394 


Great Britain. 

678 

627 


234 

Italy. 

223 


Portugal. 

161 


l,16i 

92 

United States. 

94 

184 

363 


Uruguay.. . 

507 

250 

108 






Total. 

4,667 

2,799 

1,865 

3,217 

326 


HEAVY STEEL SAFES. 

France. 

31,163 

10,518 

25,142 

119 

15,657 

2,708 

11,900 

174 

7,157 

5,944 

8,091 


Great Britain. 

8,272 

43 

5,878 

2,875 


Portugal. 

18,578 
2,776 

13,275 

806 

4,542 

6,579 

80 

2,617 

3,811 

United States. 

4,249 

56 

2,857 

Uruguay.. . 

640 

238 

79 

All other countries ___ 

118 

2,377 

91 

858 

168 



Total .. . 

88,054 

47,135 

26,764 

19,602 

17,881 




120314°—19-7 




































































































































98 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF BRAZIL. 


Countries of origin. 

1913 

1914 

1915 

1916 

1917 

ICE CHESTS. 

Austria-Hungary.. 

$37 

524 

5,573 

152 

74 

29,450 

588 

536 





France.. . 

$102 

3,046 

$272 

11 

287 

35 

8,955 

51 



Germany 



Great Britain.. . .r_ 

$21 

$71 

Italy 


United States. 

13,9 2 
120 

13,294 

302 

510 

10,912 

Uruguay.. 

All other countries 


Total ... 




36,934 

17,210 

9,611 

14,127 

10,983 



A study of the values of the imports of wooden furniture (not in¬ 
cluding desks, billiard tables, and ice boxes) for 1913, as given in the 
foregoing table, shows that this trade has been in the hands of 
Austria-Hungary, which is credited with business to the value of 
$297,713, or nearly 46 per cent of the total wood-furniture trade for 
that year. This was due to the fact that the most popular furniture 
used in Brazil is, as in many other South American countries, of the 
Austrian bent-wood type. The Brazilian manufacturers are now 
producing bent-wood furniture, and in time they will offer strong 
competition for the market. 

Germany, too, was credited with a fair portion of this trade in 
1913, due to the fact that much of the Austrian product was shipped 
from German ports. However, not all of Germany’s trade was in 
bent,-wood furniture. 

In 1913 France ranked second as a source of Brazil’s imported 
wooden furniture. Business with that country consisted chiefly of 
the high-grade French types, which are much admired by Brazilians 
and are most difficult for them to reproduce. Many of the wealthy 
people have furnished their homes with furniture from France. 

The United States took fourth place as a source of Brazil’s wooden- 
furniture purchases in 1913, with shipments valued at approximately 
17 per cent of the total. During the war there was a marked decrease 
in Brazil’s imports of this kind of furniture, the total dropping to 
$70,320 in 1917. In this year the United States was favored with 57 
per cent of the trade. 

The next important class of furniture imported by Brazil during 
1913 consisted of that manufactured from iron and steel. The sta¬ 
tistics offer no classifications, but the group is known to comprise 
the imports of metal office desks, files, and other pieces for office use; 
and chairs, tables, washstands, beds, and other iron house furniture. 
Germany led in this trade and the United States was second. Great 
Britain took third place. The United States was credited with 33 
per cent of this business in 1913. All of the trade in metal office 
equipment went to American manufacturers. By 1917 the metal- 
furniture trade had declined by more than 75 per cent. During that 
year the United States received over 76 per cent of the business. 

The trade in furniture made of cane, rattan, bamboo, and other 
similar materials has not been very important. In 1913 it amounted 
to only $10,020, and since that date it has decreased. Germany, the 
United States, and France, ranking in importance in the order named, 
were most favored in this trade. 


































FURNITURE MARKETS OF BRAZIL. 


99 


Practically all the trade in wooden office desks has been obtained by 
American manufacturers. In 1913 the total imports were valued at 
$12,081, but since that time they have been unimportant. 

France has been the most favored country in the trade in billiard 
tables. Great Britain and Germany ranked second and third, re¬ 
spectively, in this business in 1913. 

The ice-box trade has been largely with the United States. Ger¬ 
many was the next most favored source of supply in 1913, but its 
share of the business was not important. 

Heavy steel safes were imported chiefly from Europe, the French, 
English, and Portuguese makes being the most popular. In 1913 Ger¬ 
many took fourth place in this business. The European type of safe 
with a lock and key is the preferred style. The great number of 
Portuguese business men in Brazil may account for the large per¬ 
centage of safes imported from Portugal. 

The values of furniture imports of all classifications into Brazil 
from the United States and the proportion which they represent of 
the total Brazilian imports of furniture for the years covered by the 
statistics in the foregoing table are as follows: 1913, $198,642, or ap¬ 
proximately 19 per cent; 1914, $114,736, or over 23 per cent; 1915, 
$58,990, or 36 per cent; 1916, $69,310, or 44.5 per cent; 1917, $100,686, 
or approximately 63 per cent of the total Brazilian import trade in 
furniture. 


IMPORTS CLASSIFIED BY PORTS OF ENTRY. 

As may be inferred from what has already been said in regard to 
the facilities for transportation and distribution of goods in Brazil, 
the central and southern coastal States are commercially the most 
active. Of the total furniture imports in 1913, amounting to $1,048,- 
727, no less than $725,000 worth, or approximately 70 per cent, was 
received at ports from Bio de Janeiro south. The two ports of Bio 
de Janeiro and Santos took 65 per cent of the total. While some 
furniture is taken overland into the interior, the amount is insignifi¬ 
cant ; the consuming population is confined largely to regions within 
200 miles of the coast. The Amazon Valley takes some furniture, but 
in comparison with the central and southern coastal districts the 
amount is small. In 1913 the trade of this section amounted to $80,000 
or approximately 8 per cent of the total. 

In the following table are shown the values of furniture imports for 
the years 1913,1914,1915,1916,1917 by ports of entry: 


Ports of entry. 

1913 

1914 

1915 

1916 

1917 

WOOD FURNITURE. 

Manaos. 

$11,723 
13,048 
12,212 
29,006 
48,129 
34,797 
253,784 
175,185 
13,620 
14,284 
45,658 

$2,708 
9,616 
10,601 
5,045 
45,681 
14,207 
124,888 
44,502 
6,494 
5,831 
66,927 

$518 

$930 

$1,670 

Cftara. .. 

CabeddO . . 

242 

2,400 

5,002 

3,590 

47,457 

14,575 

156 

542 

11,723 


443 

2,625 

14,514 

1,839 

27,264 

10,271 

Para. 

3,542 

2,860 

3,682 

29,202 

16,763 

Pernambuco. 

Bahia . 

Rio de Janeiro. 

Santos. 

Paranagua . 

Porto Alegre. 

3,655 

4,657 

1,044 

10,650 

All other.. . 

Total. 

651,446 

336,500 

86,205 

65,291 

70,320 






























100 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF BRAZIL 


Ports oi entry. 

1913 

1914 

1915 

1916 

1917 

METAL FURNITURE. 






Manaos. 

$11,339 

12,391 

$2,392 

4,677 

$3,464 

2,911 

$9,058 

3,742 

$4,530 

6,001 

Para. 

Ceara. 

5,886 

5,292 

2,261 

2,593 

9,991 


Cabedelo. 

711 


3,069 

Pernambuco. 

13; 687 
22,195 

4,091 

6,449 

4,540 

Bahia. 

1,785 
28,823 
14,784 

468 

951 

1,684 

Rio de Janeiro. 

117,182 

46,865 

12,776 

5,661 

15,050 

9,746 

22,651 
10,361 

Santos. 

Porto Alegre.\. 

669 

661 

1,098 

762 

i;284 

All other. 

10,019 

9,129 

4 ,001 

4,424 

4,825 




Total. 

245,525 

77,096 

35,181 

50,182 

58,945 



FURNITURE OF CANE, REED, RATTAN, BAMBOO, ETC. 

Manaos. 

236 

147 




Para. 

1,173 

480 


210 

611 

Pernambuco. 

152 

40 

87 

213 

Bahia. 

592 

217 

84 

146 

Rio de Janeiro. 

2,375 

4,381 

872 

359 

746 

87 

Santos. 

1,884 

55 

1,024 

92 

167 

Rio Grande do Sul. 

259 

181 

411 

240 

Pelotas. 

50 

8 

93 

26 

Porto Alegre. 

277 

279 


All other. 

525 

80 

85 

240 

189 


Total. 

10,020 

4,062 

1,829 

2,022 

1,440 


OFFICE DESKS OF WOOD. 






Manaos. 

657 

27 


69 

114 


554 

324 


Ceara. 

1 238 

46 




Pernambuco. 

'684 

683 

118 

104 


Bahia. 

3,929 

1,024 

829 

831 

498 

159 

Rio de Janeiro. 

'298 

106 

248 

Santos. 

1 411 

1,888 

424 

50 

Florianopolis. 

1,708 



180 

Porto Alegre. 

114 




All other L. 

1,488 

816 

151 

148 

23 



Total. 

12,081 

5,637 

1,630 

1,067 

526 





BILLIARD TABLES. 






Ceara. 


556 




Bahia. 


317 


394 


Rio de Janeiro. 

1 161 

673 

838 

1,754 

145 

Santos. 

2,508 

998 

842 

754 

452 

All other. 

411 

273 

617 

181 


Total. 

4,667 

2,799 

1,865 

3,217 

326 




ICE CHESTS. 






Manaos. 

1,822 

203 

141 

451 

1,028 


1,252 

127 

346 

793 

714 

Bahia. 

2,'112 

923 

599 

406 

387 

Rio de Janeiro. 

15,486 

6,782 

5,304 

1,514 

8,092 

7,660 

Santos. 

9 186 

6,200 

2,435 

652 

Paranagua. 

737 

370 

43 

62 

22 

Rio Grande do Sul. 

1 003 

259 

409 

Pelotas. 

841 


83 

152 


Porto Alegre. 

2,496 

1,172 

442 

1,073 

237 

All other.". 

1,999 

1,433 

880 

254 

283 




Total. 

36,934 

17,210 

9,611 

14,127 

10,983 





HEAVY STEEL SAFES. 






Manaos. 

2,234 

3,021 

7,655 

80 

73 

444 

351 


737 

1,109 

650 

1,344 

Pernambuco. 

3,229 

l',445 

189 

1,466 

Bahia. 

3,241 
49,288 

3,290 

27,424 

1,271 

910 

i;986 

Rio de Janeiro. 

16,808 
3,925 

14,341 

10,178 

Santos. 

14,842 

2,149 

5,624 

6,375 

855 

79 

Porto Alegre. 

282 

31 

245 

124 

All other. 

5,718 

2,102 

1,968 

2,353 





Total.. 

88,054 

47,135 

26,764 

19,602 

17,881 















































































































FURNITURE MARKETS OF BRAZIL. 


101 


The only instance in which a port in North Brazil took more furni¬ 
ture than any port in the southern part of the Republic occurred in 
1913, when Bahia imported wooden office desks to the value of 
$3,929, which was more than twice the worth of those entered at any 
other port. The furniture industry of Bahia has not developed as 
rapidly as has that of many of the other centers of the country, and 
as a result that city must depend more upon outside sources for its 
supply. 

It should be noted that Manaos imported in 1913 practically as 
much furniture of metal as of wood. While this was due to a certain 
extent to the cheapness of metal furniture, the chief reason was that 
the climate and the wood-eating insects of this section of the country 
are very destructive to imported wood furniture. 


III. SPECIAL FACTORS INFLUENCING TRADE. 


HIGH PROTECTIVE TARIFF. 

One of the principal reasons why imported goods do not find a 
better market in Brazil is that excessive import duties are levied 
on practically all foreign articles. The present tariff is supposed 
to be levied with a view to the protection and development of home 
industries. The high duties, however, and the manner in which they 
are assessed, greatly increase the price of almost every manufactured 
article and help to raise the cost of living. 

In order to protect the domestic furniture industry Brazil has 
placed a very high duty on imported furniture, which amounts in 
many cases to much more than the original cost of the article. Nomi¬ 
nally the duty charged is not more than 60 per cent of the c. i. f. 
value, and in some cases it appears to be less; yet, in reality it is 
usually much higher. Frequently the official valuation is far greater 
than the actual market value. The actual duty is also increased 
by the fact that 55 per cent of the tariff rate must be paid in gold. 
In addition to the duty there are port and dock dues, etc., that must 
be taken into account. Reduced to an ad valorem basis, the duties 
on most furniture amount to considerably more than the initial cost. 

For example, the total amount in duties and other extra charges 
that must be paid to the Brazilian Government in order to import a 
good flat-top office desk is $85.50 United States currency at the rate 
of 4 milreis per dollar. When one also takes into consideration the 
cost of the desks and the ocean freight, it is readily seen that the 
price becomes exorbitant and that few persons can afford to import 
them. On some items, such as American office desks, the Brazilian 
Government assesses a preferential duty which is 20 per cent less 
than the usual charge. This reduces the actual duty on a flat-top 
desk to $68.40. 

Not only are the import duties extremely high, but the tariff law 
is so complicated that the importer who has had long experience is 
even more loath to attempt to clear his own goods than a beginner. 
As a result prefessional “ despatchantes ” are employed to clear the 
merchandise. The commissions charged by these agents must be 
added to the cost of the imports. It is considered safer and wiser 
to bear this additional expense than to run the risk of incurring the 
heavy fines and other penalties that are attached to the most minute 
irregularities in invoicing, classifying, or giving the value of the 
goods. 

CHARACTER OF THE POPULATION. 

The inhabitants of any one State differ so widely in character and 
nationality from the people of the other States that this variance 
has an influence on the market demands for furniture. In the States 
of Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catharina, and Parana a large part of 
the population is of German descent. In the State of Sao Paulo are 
102 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF BRAZIL. 


103 


many Italians, and Rio de Janeiro and Bahia have many Portuguese. 
The remainder of Brazil presents a much larger native element and 
a greater mixture of many foreign nationalities. These differences 
greatly affect the “nationality ” and character of the foreign goods 
demanded. The people of the more intelligent and energetic classes 
are well educated and are acquainted with the customs and product's 
of other countries and frequently demand the very best that can be 
had. In northern Brazil, where a large part of the population is 
poor, uncultured, and in many cases without ambition to better 
their condition, there is very little or no need for imported furni¬ 
ture. The people are content to use what is produced in their im¬ 
mediate vicinity and therefore create a very unimportant market for 
imported goods. 

The existence of such contrasts in conditions and in the market 
demands in different parts of the country makes the sale of furni¬ 
ture in Brazil difficult for the average North American who is accus¬ 
tomed to a more or less homogeneous market at home. 

CLIMATIC CONDITIONS. 

Another factor that limits the trade in furniture in Brazil is the 
climate. In the northern half of the country excessive heat prevails 
the greater part of the year. Because of the tropical temperature 
the houses are built with large rooms. The ceilings are high and the 
floors are, in many cases, of tile or cement. Carpets and rugs are 
little in evidence. A minimum amount of furniture tends to give 
most comfort. People live to a great extent out of doors. As a 
result, furniture—with the exception of what is absolutely necessary, 
such as chairs, tables, wardrobes, and beds—is not in great demand 
in the northern part of Brazil; and that which is required must be 
cool, light, and strong. For this reason the Austrian bent-wood 
type has been very popular. Heavy upholstered furniture is not 
desired, because of its warmth, susceptibility to attacks by insects, 
and its deterioration under the influence of the climate. Furniture 
finished or upholstered in leather soon becomes moldy, pitted, and 
discolored, and in a very short time is unsightly. Veneered and 
built-up furniture is not practical in the northern part of Brazil, 
owing to the excessive heat and moisture, which causes the wood 
to swell and the veneer to peel off. 

WOOD-EATING INSECTS. 

Possibly no other factor hinders the American furniture trade with 
the tropical countries of South America more than the termites or 
wood-eating insects (Termes flavipes) and the effect they have on 
practically all United States furniture. The “ cupin ” (the Portu¬ 
guese name of the insect) is a small insect that infests the coastal 
districts of Brazil from Sao Paulo north. When hatched it is an 
active, crawling, six-legged creature, which very soon begins to feed 
on its choice food, wood. Termites grow and work rapidly. Furni¬ 
ture carefully examined may show no trace of them one month, but 
a few weeks later pieces of it will be found unsafe for use. While 
it is known that termites prefer wood as food, injury to books, paper 


104 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF BRAZIL. 


files, fabrics, clothing, shoes, wall paper, and many other articles is 
attributed to their activities. Only those who have studied their 
habits and methods of destruction can appreciate the real damage 
these insects are able to do. They work secretly and their presence 
is often unsuspected. Frequently one does not realize the damage 
that is being done until the furniture suddenly gives way when 
weight or strain is brought to bear upon it. 

The wood termite attacks the sills, beams, and flooring of build¬ 
ings as well as furniture. In a short time the wood is hollowed out, 
leaving nothing but a thin shell to cover the damage. Innumerable 
tunnels are constructed, running usually with the grain, so that, al¬ 
though a great deal of the substance is devoured, the main longitu¬ 
dinal fibers support the structure for a long time. Many times the 
wood is left so thin where the termites have worked that often in 
termite-infested countries one may see where some person has acci¬ 
dentally pushed a finger through the back of a chair, the top of an 
office desk, or a panel of some piece of imported furniture. 

The ravages of these insects form an important consideration in 
the American furniture trade with tropical countries, and it will be 
necessary for the manufacturers to prepare to counteract the effect 
of the pests by the use of chemically treated materials. 

The wood termite seems to take delight in destroying furniture 
manufactured of softwoods or veneered and built up on soft cores. 
But furniture of solid oak seems to be attacked almost as readily as 
that made of softwood. The hardness of the material does not stop 
the ravages of the insects. Some native woods of Brazil, which are 
much harder than any that grow in North America, are readily de¬ 
stroyed by them. If the quality of any wood is to their liking— 
wood fiber being their food—they attack it; and only such woods as 
Spanish cedar, resinous Georgia pine, and others which contain a 
substance disagreeable to the taste of the insects escape destruction. 

Furniture can not be protected from the termites by a mere outer 
covering of varnish or an enamel finish. The termites work on the 
interior parts, very seldom coming to the light; and in order to keep 
them from destroying furniture, the lumber of which it is to be made 
must be impregnated through and through with some chemical 
which is poisonous, or at least very disagreeable in taste, to the in¬ 
sects. If the lumber were to be saturated with such a chemical which 
would remain effective even after the wood had passed through the 
dry kiln, furniture made from it would resist the wood termites. 

COMPETITION OF THE NATIVE INDUSTRY. 

KINDS AND QUANTITY OF FURNITURE PRODUCED. 

The growth of the domestic industry is another factor which must 
be given consideration by those endeavoring to enter the Brazilian 
market. A large amount of furniture is made in the country and 
sold for prices which, though usually very high, would be difficult 
to meet on imported goods because of the high duties. 

An abundance of excellent cabinet woods, a good supply of skilled 
labor, and the encouragement given by the Brazilian Government to 
the promotion of national industries through a protective tariff have 
given a strong impetus to the domestic furniture industry. 


Special Agents Series No. 183. 



FIG. 18.—ONE STYLE OF BEDROOM FURNITURE USED IN BRAZIL. 


















Special Agents Series No. 183. 



FIG. 19.—DIN ING-ROOM FURNITURE OF MEDIUM QUALITY MADE IN SAO PAULO, BRAZIL. 

This suite sells for about $300 United States currency. 


























FURNITURE MARKETS OF BRAZIL. 


105 


Until recently Brazilian manufacturers did not attempt to make 
reed and willow furniture, but this is now being turned out by many 
shops throughout the country. Only a very fine quality of reed fur¬ 
niture need hereafter be imported, and the demand for it is not 
great. 

The latest available official statistics of the Brazilian Government 
show that there are at least 100 establishments of fair importance 
in Brazil which manufacture furniture. The aggregate capital in¬ 
vested in this business is $2,011,000 and the value of the annual pro¬ 
duction is said to be $5,000,000. The number of employees is 2,845. 
These statistics do not include hundreds of one-man shops scattered 
over the country where furniture of low and medium quality is pro¬ 
duced. 

The principal States in Brazil in which furniture is manufactured 
are, in order of their importance: Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo. Rio 
Grande do Sul, Parana, Santa Catharina, Bahia, and Pernambuco. 
However, there are one or more furniture shops in almost every 
city and village in the country. The cities of Sao Paulo and Rio de 
Janeiro lead in the manufacture of furniture, producing as much as 
all the other parts of the country together. 

METHODS OF MAKING AND MARKETING THE DOMESTIC PRODUCT. 

The furniture manufacturing industry of Brazil can not be termed 
modem in the American sense of the word. There are two or three 
factories in the country that use a fair amount of machinery in the 
construction of their product. However, much of the work is still 
done by hand, which makes it costly. There are practically no fac¬ 
tories having a large output. Only two firms employ more than 
400 workmen, and very few have as many as 200 employees. 

With few exceptions the factories and shops make a general line 
of goods which includes everything from a stool to a high-priced bed¬ 
room or dining-room suite. Much of the product is made to order, 
and there is very little attempt as yet to build any one pattern on a 
large scale. The methods employed in most factories are crude, much 
handwork is done, and the lumber is unseasoned. 

Furniture producers that specialize on one particular line are lim¬ 
ited to two or three chair factories and a school-desk factory. The 
methods and equipment used in these places are fairly modem and 
efficient. The product is of good quality and is being shipped to all 
parts of the country. Furniture of the bulkier kind, however, is sold 
in or near the community where it is made. 

The product of the Brazilian furniture factories is largely dis¬ 
tributed directly to the consumer. In some cases a manufacturer who 
has sufficient capital sells his furniture through his own retail store 
located on one of the principal business streets of the city. Customers 
go to the store and order what is desired. With the exception of 
chairs, tables, and other small articles, most of the furniture must be 
made to order, even though the manufacturer has a display store. 
There are very few factories that produce in quantities sufficient to 
keep a stock on hand. In order to obtain a suite of furniture from 
any of the better manufacturers of Rio de Janeiro it is necessary to 
wait from two to six weeks after ordering before the goods can be 
delivered, the time depending upon the amount of business on hand. 


106 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF BRAZIL. 


There are, however, many dealers who do not run their own fac¬ 
tories, but contract with owners of small shops employing from one 
to a dozen men to make whatever furniture is desired for the stores. 
One shopowner may be employed to make bedroom furniture, an¬ 
other dining-room suites, and still a third to provide parlor suites 
and other pieces. The dealers put this furniture into their stores. 
They pay the owners of the shops for the finished product. To this 
cost they add their own profits and the total becomes the price to 
the consumer. Very seldom does a dealer keep more than a few stock 
models on his floor and from these models the customer selects the 
style he prefers. An order must be left, as the dealer can rarely be 
persuaded to part with his models, even though the buyer insists that 
he must have the furniture immediately. 

FACTORS FAVORING THE DOMESTIC INDUSTRY. 

The Brazilian manufacturers are fortunate in having at their 
service a very good and reliable supply of labor. The cabinetmakers, 
who are Italians, Germans, Spaniards, and Portuguese, are indus¬ 
trious, intelligent, and skillful workmen. Notwithstanding the han¬ 
dicap which they must meet because of the lack of modern equipment 
and methods, they produce some remarkably elaborate and beautiful 
work. They are apt in copying and are able to make almost any 
type of furniture from a cut, photograph, or catalogue illustration. 
The average daily wage of a Brazilian cabinetmaker is from $2 to 
$2.50, United States currency. 

Brazil has long been noted for its great forests and abundant sup¬ 
plies of beautiful cabinet woods. The furniture manufacturers need 
not depend upon outside sources except for such varieties as mahog¬ 
any, maple, walnut, and quartered oak, and it is not necessary to 
import these woods, as there are native varieties which will serve the 
same purpose and are equally beautiful. 

The great need of the Brazilian furniture industry is more intelli¬ 
gent direction, more modem methods, and better equipment. 

QUALITY OF OUTPUT. 

One of the greatest retarding influences to the devolpment of the 
Brazilian industry lies in the fact that very little is known of the 
advantages of the kiln-drying process. There are but two dry kilns 
operated by furniture manufacturing plants in Brazil. For the rest 
the lumber is left to season a few months in the open before being 
cut. Most manufacturers do not have sufficient capital to purchase 
large stocks of wood in order to have it dry the proper length of 
time before it is used. The result is that much of the product 
turned out can not be depended upon not to shrink, crack, open at 
the joints, or otherwise become disfigured. This is one of the great 
defects which characterizes practically all the Brazilian output. 
The furniture may be constructed of the most beautiful wood, made 
up in the most pleasing proportion, handsomely decorated with fine 
carvings, and given an excellent finish, but in a short time, because 
of the unseasoned material of which it is made, it loses much of its 
value. 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF BRAZIL. 


107 

An institution in Sao Paulo, known as the Lyceo de Artes e Offi¬ 
cios has installed kiln-drying apparatus and is endeavoring to get 
its stock of lumber into good condition before it is manufactured into 
furniture. This is a private institution supported by public donations 
to provide trade education for the boys of the community. It may 
be that through its efforts the future furniture manufacturers of 
Brazil will be induced to equip their factories with kiln-drying 
machinery. The Lyceo de Artes e Officios has also installed equip¬ 
ment to wash the wood to be used for furniture. The wood is 
stacked in a large oven which can be made steam-tight with the 
exception of a drain outlet for the condensed steam and the sap 
which is driven out of the wood by the steam being forced into it. 
After the wood is thoroughly washed it is put into a dry kiln 
and carefully dried. It is then stacked in the open for several 
months, although it is continually kept under cover until it is cut 
for furniture. Good results have been obtained by these methods 
and the product of this institution is in great demand. 

The output of the Brazilian factories varies greatly in quality and 
design. That made at the Lyceo de Artes e Officios and other first- 
class establishments is quite creditable, being well designed and prop¬ 
erly made. But a great quantity of furniture made in the country 
is very poorly designed and badly constructed and is soon worth¬ 
less. While some of the native furniture is made after modem 
patterns, a large part of it is of designs similar to those American 
manufacturers will find in their catalogues of 25 or 30 years ago. 

The primitive methods used in the manufacture and sale of furni¬ 
ture make the product very expensive. The best grades retail at three 
or four times as much as a similar article costs in the United States. 
The lack of standardization in manufacturing, the necessity of im¬ 
porting most of the materials used except the lumber, and the un¬ 
economical methods of production and distribution, all have their 
influence in making the price of the native furniture exhorbitant. 
The domestic industry maintains the price of its product at nearly 
the same level as that of the imported goods. It is slightly less in 
order to keep out much that might otherwise be brought into the 
country. 

While the furniture industry in Brazil can not be considered a 
modern and efficient one in many respects, it is able to produce a 
fair product which meets most of the market demands; and, be¬ 
cause of the high protective tariff, it will not be disturbed by foreign 
competition. 


IV. MARKET FOR PARTICULAR KINDS OF FURNITURE. 


HOUSE FURNITURE. 

Considering the size of the country, its population, and the total 
value of the furniture imports, which in 1917 were only $160,421, 
it can not be said that Brazil is a very attractive market for imported 
house furniture. This is due chiefly to the fact that a large per¬ 
centage of the population demands no better product than can be 
produced in the country by the domestic manufacturers, who are 
already sufficiently well established to meet the ordinary local de¬ 
mands at prices which, owing to the exceedingly high, duties, under¬ 
sell slightly the imported product. However, there is in Brazil, as 
in every other country, a certain class of wealthy people who will 
have only imported furniture, for which they are willing and able 
to pay large sums of money. Because of this demand, which is not 
large, some high-class furniture for fine dwellings is imported. It 
comes chiefly from Franee and Italy, and is usually purchased while 
the buyers are traveling abroad. 

High-grade house furniture from America is practically unknown 
in Brazil. Previous to the war few wealthy Brazilians traveled in 
the United States, and consequently the people are not acquainted 
with the best class of American furniture. Even the English and 
French manufacturers are not represented in Brazil, as they are in 
Uruguay, Argentina, and Chile. It is very doubtful if they will 
attempt to establish a business in Brazil, because of the high duties, 
difficulty of meeting the domestic competition, and the small market 
for a high-grade product. But Brazil does offer a limited market 
for particular kinds of imported furniture, such as cheap chairs, 
metal furniture, ice boxes, etc., which up to the present time have 
not been manufactured in the country with sufficient economy to 
compete with the imported article. 

CHAIRS. 

Few types of foreign-made chairs have competed in price with 
the domestic product, the notable exception being the Austrian bent¬ 
wood style, which was imported into Brazil in large quantities before 
the war. Austrian chairs ane found in the homes of all classes of 
people, in business houses, restaurants, tea houses, Government build¬ 
ings, and other public places. In 1913 Austria was credited with 
trade in this type of furniture to the value of $297,713, or 46 per 
cent of the total trade in wood furniture for that year. 

It is very doubtful if bent-wood chairs will be imported in such 
large quantities in the future as they have been in the past. They 
are now being made in the country in great numbers, and are of good 
quality and finish. One factory is turning out 600 bent-wood chairs 
of various patterns daily for prices that are very little above those 
asked for the imported ones before the War. Domestic competition 
108 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF BRAZIL. 


409 


is increasing in this line, and only a sufficient number of chairs of 
this type will be imported to supply the demand which is in excess 
of the domestic output. Before 1914 an imported Austrian bent¬ 
wood chair sold for $2.75 gold. The price asked for a similar article 
made in Brazil is approximately $2.80. The price of the domestic- 
made chairs has increased but 15 per cent since 1913. 

There has been some demand for American chairs of a very cheap 
price and a low quality. Those selling for $6 and $7 per dozen found 
a limited market and may continue to do so inasmuch as the cheap 
native-made chairs sell for $1.50 each and up. Babies’ highchairs 
are also in demand, owing to the fact that domestic manufacturers 
have not been able to make them for the price at which they can be 
imported. The demand for the better grade of American chairs is 
very limited because exact models of them can be produced by domestic 
manufacturers for the same price that must be asked for imported 
ones. 

METAL BEDS. 

In the import statistics of Brazil metal beds are included in the 
totals for the manufactures of iron and brass, and there is no way of 
ascertaining the exact value of the beds imported. Metal beds of 
either iron or brass have not been generally adopted in Brazil as they 
have in the other South American countries, although their popularity 
is growing. Wooden beds have been favored in the past because of 
the abundance of fine cabinet wrnods in the country and the inexpen¬ 
siveness of their manufacture. In recent years, however, the cost of 
lumber and labor has increased materially, and the future will see a 
more general use of metal beds. 

Metal beds are now being used to a large extent by hospitals, board¬ 
ing schools, and Government and municipal departments, such as the 
army and navy departments and the fire and police stations. Practi¬ 
cally all of these beds are made in the country, and because of the 
duties it would be almost impossible for foreign manufacturers of 
cheap beds to compete with the domestic producers. A few of the 
highest class of iron beds are imported, as the price of these is less 
than that of beds of equal quality made in Brazil. The duty on iron 
beds ranges from $3.45 to $12.94, United States currency. 

Because of their high cost brass beds are not used extensively, and 
up to the present time have not been sold in large numbers. The 
import duties on brass beds range from $7.33 to $47.42 (United 
States currency). Because of the high duty on materials for the 
manufacture of brass beds, and the limited demand, their production 
in Brazil has not developed rapidly. 

The importation of iron and brass beds is chiefly through the me¬ 
dium of commission houses and wholesale importers. The terms of 
payment vary greatly. The small houses often ask for 90 to 120 days’ 
time and the large ones frequently pay cash. 

American beds are criticized because the wire of which the springs 
are made is not always put through a rust-proofing process. Also, it 
is claimed that the finish on American brass beds is not as durable as 
that which is given to the English article. American manufacturers 
should be careful to use materials which will withstand the effects of 
a warm and humid climate. 


110 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF BRAZIL. 


OTHER METAL FURNITURE. 

In past years there has been a good market for imported metal 
chairs, tables, and washstands. In 1913 the largest part of the 
metal-furniture trade went to Germany, with the United States and 
Great Britain taking second and third place, respectively. In 1913 
the entire metal-furniture trade amounted to $245,525, or approxi¬ 
mately 24 per cent of the total furniture trade for that year; but in 
1917 it was valued at only $58,945. The decrease was due chiefly to 
the difficulties of importing. Also, the increase in the domestic pro¬ 
duction of this line of furniture has had .considerable influence on 
the trade in foreign-made metal furniture. Metal furniture for or¬ 
dinary purposes is now being made in Brazil in large quantities, and 
without doubt the former demand for the imported product will be 
cut down considerably, even under normal peace-time conditions. 

The lack of modern plumbing and bath-room facilities in most 
of the homes of the poorer people, together with the climatic condi¬ 
tions in certain sections of the country—especially the northern 
part—has created a demand for cheap, but convenient - pieces of 
furniture that will serve in place of the more modern and expensive 
appliances. 

REED, RATTAN, AND WILLOW FURNITURE. 

While reed, rattan, and willow furniture is well suited to the 
climatic conditions of the greater part of Brazil, the import of it 
has never been very marked, although it showed a gradual increase 
up to 1913. The unimportance of the trade is due largely to the 
fact that the domestic manufacturers are able to supply the greater 
part of the demand. Statistics show that the value of the raw ma¬ 
terials imported for making furniture of this class is many times 
greater than the value of the finished product brought into the 
country. 

In 1910 the value of the trade in reed, rattan, and willow furni¬ 
ture was $4,317. In 1911 it had increased to $5,879; in 1912 it was 
$7,750, and by 1913 had reached $10,020. In 1914 this trade declined 
to $4,062, and by 1917 was only $1,440. 

The duties charged on this class of furniture serve as an encour¬ 
agement for local production and are a great obstacle to the im¬ 
portation of the finished product. 

Until the outbreak of the war, Germany was the most favored 
country in the trade in imported reed, rattan, and willow furniture, 
with France and the United States following. During 1917 this 
business was practically in the hands of American exporters. 

KITCHEN FURNITURE. 

There is little probability that Brazil will ever become a market 
for a great amount of imported kitchen furniture. The custom of 
employing servants to do the housework prevails in Brazil and in 
other South American countries, and any attempt to introduce 
kitchen cabinets or other labor-saving house appliances will meet with 
little success. If, in time, modern kitchen equipment comes into de¬ 
mand, the market can be supplied by the domestic manufacturers. 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF BRAZIL. 


Ill 


REFRIGERATORS. 

Ice boxes and refrigerators for general use have found a fair 
market in Brazil. In 1913 trade in them amounted to $36,934, of 
which the United States was credited with $29,450. Germany was 
the only competitor of any importance in that year. During the 
war one or two domestic factories began to make ice boxes and re¬ 
frigerators which are of fair quality and which, with some improve¬ 
ment, may offer strong competition for the market. 

The market for imported ice boxes and refrigerators for home use 
will be limited for some time to come because of the mode of living, 
the lack of appreciation of sanitary and economical house equip¬ 
ment, and the poverty of a very large percentage of the people. Re¬ 
frigerators are in use in most of the hotels, restaurants, cafes, ice¬ 
cream parlors, and other similar public places, and in a few years 
there will be a good demand for those of medium and large size. 

Ice boxes and refrigerators of small size are imported by hard¬ 
ware dealers and by general importers and commission houses. 

American refrigerators are accorded a preferential reduction of 
20 per cent from the regular rate in the Brazilian customs procedure. 

OFFICE FURNITURE. 

Brazil offers an extensive market for the sale of office furniture, 
and there is every indication that the market for all kinds of com¬ 
mercial equipment will increase, since modern business methods are 
rapidly being adopted. While this is true, Brazil does not offer a 
good market for the sale of imported office furniture of wood, and it 
is not likely that the demand for this product will increase very 
materially in the future. 

The greater percentage of the office equipment is now being sup¬ 
plied by domestic manufacturers, and, although it can not be com¬ 
pared to the American product in quality it can be purchased for 
a much smaller price and serves fairly well. 

DESKS, CABINETS, AND OTHER EQUIPMENT OF WOOD. 

One of the chief factors adverse to the sale of imported wooden 
office furniture is the almost prohibitive cost of the equipment to 
the average Brazilian purchaser. As has been stated in the fore 
part of this report, the customs charges alone on a first-class flat-top 
desk amount to $68.40 United States currency, which is as much or 
more than the original cost. Such a desk would necessarily sell for 
$100 to $150 in order to be disposed of at a profit after the original 
cost, freight, duties, and other charges had been paid. 

Domestic manufacturers can produce desks copied from American 
patterns for prices ranging from $50 to $125. The desks made 
locally are constructed of lumber which is not always in the best 
condition, because it is not kiln-dried before it is used; but they 
are much cheaper than the average imported desks and meet the 
market demands. 

The statistics of imported wooden office desks show that the trade 
is not important. In 1913 it amounted to $12,081 and in 1917 to 


112 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF BRAZIL. 


only $526. The United States obtained the greater part of this 
trade. It is interesting to note that the port of Bahia in 1913 was 
credited with office-desk imports to the value of $3,929. This was 
approximately one-third of the total Brazilian import. 

Filing cabinets are not so commonly used in Brazil as in the 
United States, but all of the larger and better-equipped business 
houses have them and their sale is increasing. The greater per¬ 
centage of the files in use are of domestic manufacture. Filing 
cabinets of good quality are being made in the country at prices 
less than those asked for imported ones. 

As in the case of desks and files, the prices of imported type¬ 
writer tables and desks, chairs, sectional bookcases, sofas, and other 
pieces are so high, due to the exorbitant customs charges, that they 
also find very little sale in Brazil. 

While the domestic-made office furniture can not be compared 
to the American product in workmanship or finish, and is expensive, 
it may be seen that the Brazilian manufacturer has a great advantage 
over the American producer, whose goods are charged a heavy duty. 
In some instances the factory price of the Brazilian product is 
not much more than the duty collected on the imported furniture. 
The following prices, quoted by a local factory in Brazil, are ex¬ 
pressed in United States currency: 


Roll-top desk, medium size and quality_$75-$100 

Flat-top desk, medium size and quality_ 60- 80 

Filing cabinets, three drawers._ 40- 50 

Desk chairs, revolving, with arms and wooden seat_ 18- 20 

Office chairs with arms, wooden seat_ 14- -18 

Sectional bookcases: 

Top section_ 2- 3 

Base section_ 3- 4 

Center sections, each_ 8- 10 

Typewriter desks with folding top_ 65- 75 

Typewriter tables with one drawer_ 5- 6 


The above-mentioned prices were obtained from only one manu¬ 
facturer, but they represent fairly well the average cost of manu¬ 
facturing office furniture in Brazil, plus the manufacturer’s profit. 
The product, in this particular case, is well made of good materials 
and is given an excellent finish. It renders good service, and meets, 
to a large degree, the market demands. American business houses 
and banks are using native office furniture, and while it is not so 
well made as the United States product, it costs less and answers 
the purpose very well. 

The materials and type of construction used in much of the 
American office furniture of wood is another factor that will tend 
to limit its sale in Brazil. Conditions relative to the destructiveness 
of wood-eating insects are the same for office furniture as for house 
furniture. Built-up, veneered furniture is readily destroyed by the 
termites. If it is to withstand attacks of these pests the tops, panels, 
and drawer bottoms can not be built of ordinary chestnut, basswood, 
or other softwoods veneered over with oak or similar finishes, unless 
the cores be treated with some chemical to make them insect-proof. 
If this is not done, desks should at least be made with solid-oak 
tops, panels, and legs. Files, bookcases, and other pieces for export 
to Brazil should also be made of solid oak. For further protection 












Special Agents Series No. 183 



FIG. 20.—HOTEL FURNITURE MADE AT A LOCAL FACTORY IN BRAZIL. 























Special Agfnti Sorluo No. 183. 



FIG. 21.—BANK FIXTURES MADE BY BRAZILIAN MANUFACTURERS. 
















































FURNITURE MARKETS OF BRAZIL. 


113 


to desks, metal shoes should be put on the legs in order to keep the 
insects from boring up into the legs from the floor—which is some¬ 
times their method of entering a piece of furniture. 

Veneered furniture is decidedly unpopular in central and northern 
Brazil. The excessive humidity has a tendency to cause the veneer 
to loosen and come off. For this reason, as well as because of the 
insects, solid furniture is preferred. 

METAL OFFICE EQUIPMENT. 

So far as the climate is concerned Brazil is an excellent field for 
the use of steel office equipment. It is not affected by the climate and 
can not be destroyed by insects. Many business men in Brazil who 
in recent years have been using steel furniture, seem greatly to pre¬ 
fer it to any other kind, and for this reason it appears to be the best 
type to push. There is practically no domestic competition in this 
line and the import duty is lower on it than on furniture made of 
wood. While many persons prefer the wooden files if they are made 
of ant-resisting wood, because they harmonize better with the other 
furniture in the offices, the majority of the business men who use 
filing systems desire steel equipment on account of its lasting quali¬ 
ties and of the better protection it affords. 

The three styles of steel files that are in greatest demand are as 
follows: (1) Four-drawer letter size, IT inches wide, 25 inches deep, 
and 50 inches high; (2) size for card index, measuring 17 by 17 by 12 
inches, for cards 3 by 5 inches; (3) four-drawer sections for legal- 
size papers. 

There is hardly another American product that arouses as much 
admiration and sincere interest in Brazil as does the steel furniture 
which has been imported. However, because of the high prices that 
must be asked for it, due to excessive importing costs, the market 
for it will be limited. 

The demands for sectional office partitions made of wood are sup¬ 
plied by local manufacturers, and there is no market in Brazil for 
a foreign-made product. All interior woodwork, such as partitions, 
shelving, counters, and show cases, is contracted for locally. There 
has been a very small demand for steel partitions. Some have been 
installed in one or two banks and buildings of large corporations. 
The demand for this product will be regulated largely by the number 
of new fireproof buildings erected, and at the present time none is in 
process of construction. 

One of the principal factors in a successful effort to further the 
sale of metal office furniture in Brazil will be the degree of lightness 
the manufacturer can secure in his products without sacrificing 
strength and rigidity, for the duty is collected on the gross weight 
less 10 per cent allowance when packed in barrels and wooden cases. 
When packed in boxes of millboard, cardboard, etc., it pays on the 
gross weight without any allowance. 

In summarizing the situation in respect to the possibility of selling 
office furniture in Brazil, it may be said that the country offers no 
prospects of becoming an important market for the American prod¬ 
uct made of wood; and, because of the high cost of steel furniture, 
this line will not be in great demand for some time to come. 

120314°—19-8 



114 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF BRAZIL. 


PUBLIC-BUILDING FURNITURE. 

GOVERNMENT AND MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS. 

The Brazilian National and municipal Governments have found it 
necessary to purchase very little furniture abroad, and have de¬ 
pended almost entirely on the native product. Recently the statis¬ 
tical department of the National Government purchased in the 
United States a large order of equipment, a part of which consisted 
of a number of steel files and cases for filing reports and storing 
materials. A few years ago the National Library at Rio de Janeiro 
was equipped throughout with American steel shelving, reading 
desks, catalogue indexes, counters, and other furniture. This order 
amounted to several thousand dollars. 

American office furniture has not been used in the Government and 
municipal offices to any extent. Very few modern filing systems are 
in evidence, and there are practically no imported desks in service. 
A few American straight-back and revolving desk-chairs have been 
purchased. For ordinary office purposes Austrian bent-wood chairs 
are used and seem to find preference over every other kind. 

With the exception of an occasional small order for particular 
furniture which can not be made in the country, Brazilian National 
and municipal Governments probably will not be in the market for 
imported goods. 

SCHOOLS. 

There are distributed in the several States of Brazil 13,000 schools, 
having an attendance of almost 750,000 pupils. This is apart from 
the many agricultural schools of the country, which are important, as 
within recent years every State has devoted much time and capital 
to instruction in agriculture. 

Primary education in Brazil is conducted by the State Govern¬ 
ments and by various private schools. Advanced work is offered by 
schools under Federal, State, and private management. 

The principal markets for school furniture are the State Govern¬ 
ments, and their requirements are more or less in proportion to their 
populations. This places Sao Paulo first and Rio de Janeiro second. 

The market for imported school furniture in Brazil is limited. The 
authorities have purchased most of what is in use from local manu¬ 
facturers. In some instances small shops are run for the account of 
the Government, and in the State of Sao Paulo, where such an ar¬ 
rangement exists, no purchases of imported furniture have been made 
for about 12 years. 

HOTELS, RESTAURANTS, CLUBS, AND THEATERS. 

Practically no furniture has been imported to furnish hotels in 
Brazil. A large new hotel of 200 rooms in Rio de Janeiro has ordered 
its furniture from factories in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo at a 
cost of $125,000. 

The only imported furniture used in restaurants is of the Austrian 
bent-wood type. Tables and counters are made locally. In a few 
instances metal tables and chairs have been ordered from abroad, 
but the domestic manufacturers are now able to supply most of this 
class of furniture. 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF BRAZIL. 


115 


One or two clubs in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo have imported 
furniture. But one of the best clubs has equipment made in the 
country, and it is evident that it is not necessary to depend upon 
foreign manufacturers. 

Brazil offers no market for theater seats. The theaters and 
motion-picture houses have been furnished with seats made by local 
workmen, who. are able to turn out a product that well fulfills all 
present requirements. 

BARBER SHOPS. 

Brazil is a fair market for the sale of barber chairs. While all 
grades, from the most simple wooden domestic-made chair to the 
very expensive imported article, are purchased, those finding the 
greatest acceptance are of medium price. Chairs which retail for 
$80 to $100 gold are most in demand. Those upholstered in cane 
are perhaps the most popular. 

Previous to the war Germany was a strong competitor of the 
United States for the barber-chair trade, but now the business is in 
the hands of American manufacturers. 

HOSPITAL AND DENTAL EQUIPMENT. 

At present the greater part of Brazil’s foreign trade in hospital 
and dental furniture is with American manufacturers. Before the 
war a large part of it went to Germany and France. German den¬ 
tist’s chairs were cheaper than those imported from the United 
States. They were not so good, but were satisfactory to most of the 
purchasers. 

BILLIARD TABLES. 

While the games of billiards and pool are not so popular in Brazil 
as in the United States, the demand for tables has been sufficiently 
great to encourage local manufacturing. Except for the very finest 
tables, of which a limited number have been imported from France 
and England, all those in use were made in the country. The fac¬ 
tories, being only small establishments employing from 16 to 20 
men each, have an output of 10 or 12 tables per month. All of 
the'wooden parts of the tables are made of fine native woods. The 
rubber edgings are imported—mostly from France. The slate bot¬ 
toms are ordered from Portugal, and the balls and cues come from 
F ranee. 

Billiard tables are used in private homes, in clubs, and in billiard 
rooms. The largest billiard hall in Rio de Janeiro has 20 tables. 
Pool is not especially popular, and practically all the tables are for 
billiards only. 

The total trade in billiard tables in 1913 was valued at $4,667, of 
which more than 50 per cent was credited to Franee. The American 
manufacturers have obtained very little of this business. 

MARKET FOR MATERIALS FOR MANUFACTURE OF FURNITURE. 

WRile furniture to the value of at least $5,000,000 is being pro¬ 
duced annually in Brazil, all of the materials used in its construc¬ 
tion, with the exception of cabinet woods, native-made glue, and a 
small amount of hardware, must be imported. Some bronze trim- 


116 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF BRAZIL. 


ming for certain decorative purposes is cast in the local foundries; 
but locks, hinges, drawer pulls, escutcheons, door snaps, casters, nails, 
screws, bolts, and many other articles come from abroad. There is 
a present scarcity of drawer and door pulls, which were formerly 
purchased from Germany. Manufacturers of all kinds of furniture 
hardware and metal and wood decorations should endeavor to in¬ 
troduce their products on the Brazilian market, as great quantities 
of this merchandise is consumed in Brazil. For detailed informa¬ 
tion in regard to the kinds of cabinet hardware in demand in Brazil 
it is suggested that the manufacturers refer to the special report on 
Brazilian Markets for American Hardware, which may be obtained 
from the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, 
Washington, D. C., by asking for Miscellaneous Series No. 47. 
(Price, 15 cents.) 

Producers of materials for the manufacture of iron and brass beds 
should find a fair market in Brazil for their goods. The metal-bed 
industry will surely increase in importance. All the materials used 
in the manufacture of these products, such as tubing, casters, wire, 
knobs, and bars, are imported. So far, the bulk of this material 
has come from England and the United States, England receiving 
the greater share of the trade. Some criticism has been made of the 
quality of the brass tubing offered by American exporters. Domestic 
manufacturers claim that it does not give so satisfactory results as 
that obtained from Great Britain. As duty on both brass and steel 
tubing is charged according to the weight, it is desirable that the 
materials be as light as possible and yet retain the required amount 
of strength. 

There is a good demand for finishing materials, such as shellac, 
alcohol, varnish, oils, turpentine, stains, etc. As yet no mechanical 
means are employed in finishing the furniture. At present the 
French polish is the most popular and, as all the work is done by 
hand, the product is expensive. The spraying system is unknown, 
and manufacturers of spraying equipment should be able to interest 
Brazilian furniture people in such conveniences if the machines are 
properly introduced. While varnished surfaces are not so admired 
as those given the hand-rubbed French polish, the manufacturers 
would be interested in a new method which would decrease the cost 
of production. 

Materials for the upholstering of furniture are not produced in 
Brazil. A considerable amount of upholstered furniture is made, and 
fine leathers, velours, plushes, silks, cretonnes, and imitation leath¬ 
ers—as well as tacks, brads, tape, springs, and other materials—are 
in demand. These materials must be imported, and American manu¬ 
facturers should be interested in this market. 

Some excellent glue is manufactured in Brazil, but there is a 
market for a high-grade imported product. Especially does this 
apply to the waterproof glues which are now on the American 
market. Because of the great humidity in'some parts of the country 
and the use of woods which are not kiln-dried, there has long been 
felt a need for a glue that will hold in all kinds of climates under 
the trying conditions to which glues are subject in Brazil. Manu¬ 
facturers of glues made from casein should find a large market in 
Brazil and other tropical countries when the quality of their products 
is once known. 


V. METHODS OF MARKETING FURNITURE. 


Because of the many obstacles to the importation of any kind of 
house furniture into Brazil it is practically useless to consider any 
but an indirect method of selling this line to the consumer in that 
country. Manufacturers of chairs, metal furniture, ice boxes, and 
of reed, rattan and wicker furniture will find that tne business they 
are able to obtain in Brazil can be most successfully handled through 
some of the reliable manufacturers’ agents and importers of these 
lines already established there. The market is not of sufficient impor¬ 
tance to warrant the expenditure of a great amount of money in estab¬ 
lishing branch offices for the sale of any kind of house furniture. 

What is true in the case of house furniture is also true of office 
equipment and of school and hospital furniture. The office furniture 
sold in Brazil is handled by three or four firms in Rio de Janeiro, 
which have branches in Sao Paulo. These firms are prepared to sell 
this line. One house has several branches in various parts of the 
country and is doing a large business in office appliances, excepting 
imported office furniture. 

Barber and dentist’s chairs are being handled by firms which im¬ 
port general supplies for barber shops and dental parlors. Hospital 
furniture is usually sold by firms that import supplies for drug stores 
and hospitals. Dealers in stationery, books and school supplies some¬ 
times import school furniture. Also, commission houses handle this 
line occasionally. 


117 


VI. MARKET FOR FURNITURE-MAKING MACHINERY. 


Brazil should offer a good market for woodworking machinery. 
The manufacture of furniture is still carried on to a large extent in 
a primitive manner. With the exception of “roughing out” the ma¬ 
terial or stockj most of the furniture is made by hand. The furni¬ 
ture industry is still in its infancy and American manufacturers of 
woodworking machinery and tools should cultivate the Brazilian 
market. Without doubt there will be an increasing demand for mod¬ 
ern equipment in lumber and furniture manufacturing plants of 
Brazil in the near future. 

At present there seems to be a preference for English and German 
woodworking machinery, although a considerable amount of Amer¬ 
ican machinery is in use. The English machines have been in¬ 
stalled for many years. They have a reputation for service and 
durability. German machinery is considered less durable that that 
purchased in England, but it is much less expensive. The German 
system of offering easy-payment terms and providing special facili¬ 
ties which made it less difficult for a man with small capital to obtain 
the necessary machine equipment, is said to constitute the principal 
reason why German machinery has been installed to a large extent. 

There is no reason why American manufacturers of woodworking 
machinery can not obtain a considerable part of the business in 
Brazil if they make a special effort to supply the market demands. 
But there are certain factors which must be taken into account if 
a growing business is to be successfully built up. In border that 
American woodworking machinery meet with favor it must be so 
designed as to withstand the hard usage to which it will be subjected 
in working Brazilian woods, several of which are many times harder 
than the hardest North American varieties. The feeding apparatus 
on machines must be designed to work more slowly than is necessary 
on those in sawmills and factories of the United States. Machines 
should be designed to operate to capacity on the least possible amount 
of power. Very few Brazilian lumber and furniture factories are 
equipped with large power plants. Also, it must be remembered 
that there are few highly trained foremen or workmen who can suc¬ 
cessfully operate complicated machinery. If manufacturers of wood¬ 
working machinery are to meet the market requirements they must 
thoroughly consider the conditions to which their machines will be 
subjected. 

One of the greatest handicaps of the Brazilian lumber and furni¬ 
ture industries is the lack of mechanical means of seasoning woods. 
In all Brazil there are not more than two dry kilns for the purpose 
of drying wood for the manufacture of furniture. Because of the 
lack of proper equipment and of the knowledge of scientific methods 
of seasoning cabinet woods, the native-made furniture can not be 
depended upon. Sooner or later the Brazilian furniture manufac¬ 
turers will find it necessary to install modern equipment for the pur¬ 
pose of drying their lumber properly before manufacturing it into 
furniture. The American manufacturers of kiln-drying equipment 
should give the Brazilian market some attention. 

118 


VII. BRAZIL AS A FIELD FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF 
FURNITURE. 

Brazil offers a good field for the development of an American 
furniture factory. Practically all of the better grades of furniture 
now made in that country are manufactured to order. There are 
very few plants where good, substantial, moderate-priced furniture 
can be made in quantities. Rio de Janeiro, with a population of 
1,500,000 people, has only four or five small factories producing a 
good class of furniture; and Sao Paulo, with a population of more 
than 500,000 inhabitants, has only three shops that are prepared 
to turn out good furniture, and one of these is a trade school which 
offers vocational instruction to the young men of the community. 
While there are many small shops and factories in Brazil making 
furniture of all classes they are not equipped to produce a good, 
reliable product economically. 

A manufacturer with modern equipment, producing a good grade 
of furniture in quantities and for a price within the reach of a great 
portion of the population, would undoubtedly do well, and one who 
would specialize in modern commercial furniture would surely meet 
with great success. Brazil has developed commercially and indus¬ 
trially to a point where the present primitive methods of manufac¬ 
turing office equipment to order in small lots will no longer suffice, 
and the need of a more up-to-date and efficient method of supplying 
the market demands is greatly felt. It is often not practical to im¬ 
port furniture because of the expense, and business men who need 
office equipment must go to a furniture shop and have it made to 
order. This is costly in both time and money, and, at best, the prod¬ 
uct is only fair in quality and does not always give satisfaction. 

The most favorable location in Brazil for a modern furnitui^fftc- 
tory is in or near Sao Paulo. This is an ind^tyi&Plfityj and'ds^fre 
hub of the country from which rail road s' ’ ekt ihnn&'jb&l 

markets. This point is near the soured 

woods and has easy and cheap acceS^td* fclW'Sc/ceari^'by^M-hicht^fte 
finished product can be shipped l tb pdrt^tio^lPartd 'kadh iS&Btbsd- 

the port of Sao Paulo. Sad* Pa'tilo 1 Js^ pWigyteslvd febrnbierbikPcity, 
and it is predicted that its population will doltBld ^‘tli^ hexti‘>lO v 0 r 
15 years It is the centertodrft \vhi^h' ) a^'ifefei§t*‘^,000 , , : 00(> i oi' 
people in the State ofi ®^o ’I^Au4th 1 iiJ(I' Hfe , igfib | 01 1 iltg‘ i Stdtb^ > dbthiMi>a 
great part of their ihf Wdrted 1 glnd’ 7 np<$W fhlYYitUre 

factory in Sao Paulo matf’dfep&id* 'fof far^ed&haW'df itfe bitSWWsfe. 
It has an excellent dMfila'feV'a gbdd 1 bla^ ! bf 4&b&rlfcsftttf&^bddf#radi- 
portation facilities kd 1 tM' ’ihtdribh 1 bf 1 thb 1 *M«eJi ‘H0 to itfte 
coast. It is but 1 fe ( Hotthl4y : Mil4nW ! 24 bidlitthby kft&tfn ‘frtAw'Ri^de 
Janeiro, which adds H k ,) It(f^ 1 ^k 1 rivbt :i fb^ r bbth ) 

LrmQP noiJoaimoi) ni ainaldoiq aiiioaaldiio'il adi lo enO 

Fa’cloW ‘sitbk if* atk' eXdetAlh^ly liigh’4h^rk^,' ^Pit'4s 

alkibAt^fthpbMbl^WjitlkMkfe -Mfd ifi rfrtJdit# 1 4ied i<**>i 

tofiVbk 1 W?th?rt f efe 15 tif SttWPAwk),^^'^ 1 tfttllrkd^B- 
Sab ’Pakli^ild 'Sa^oS;* dfeiS{Mal< ikdfc&Mntfe 4>r 4tetttl*i<$fe. 

119 


120 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF BRAZIL. 


Land, with good transportation facilities, electric-power service, 
and other advantages, may be had there for $0.25 to $4 per square 
meter. 

The cost of building is not especially high. Most of the construc¬ 
tion material may be obtained in the country, and a one-story build¬ 
ing can be erected for $10 to $15 per square meter. This price in¬ 
cludes the floors, windows, and doors. 

The expense of importing woodworking machinery will be ap¬ 
proximately 60 per cent more than the original cost. This includes 
freight, duties, and other charges, machinery delivered in Sao Paulo. 

Good cabinetmakers may be obtained for $2 to $3 per day of eight 
hours. Good machine men may be had for $2 to $2.50 per day. 
Finishers are paid $2 to $2.50 per day. These are the wages prevail¬ 
ing in the furniture factories of Sao Paulo. In the suburbs of the 
city and the small towns, just a few minutes away, the wages are 
somewhat less, owing to the lower cost of living. A Brazilian work¬ 
man does about two-thirds as much work per day as the average 
American. On the whole, however, the Brazilians are excellent 
cabinetmakers and can be considered good workmen. This is espe¬ 
cially true of the laborers of Sao Paulo, a large percentage of whom 
are Italian or of Italian descent. 

Sao Paulo and vicinity have electric-power service, which is avail¬ 
able for industrial purposes. It is considerably more expensive than 
in the United States, especially to small consumers. The Sao Paulo 
rate is from 5 to 12 cents gold per kilowatt hour, depending upon the 
amount' used. For consumers of a large amount of current the rate 
is somewhat less than is mentioned above. Many furniture factories 
use their own steam plants. But one of the largest factories in Sao 
Paulo is equipped throughout with electrically driven machinery. 

Excellent cabinet woods may be purchased in Sao Paulo, which 
is a lumber center. The State of .Sao Paulo is well supplied with 
these woods, and a factory located in Sao Paulo City would have no 
difficulty in obtaining plenty of lumber. The fine woods from the 
State or Parana are also shipped directly to Sao Paulo. The retail 
prices of the best cabinet woods range from $40 to $150 per thousand 
feet in the log. Approximately $10 per thousand feet is charged 
for sawing the logs into planks and boards. Lumber can be pur¬ 
chased for less than the prices given above if it is obtained from the 
owners of timberland. 

Brazil has many beautiful cabinet woods which, with proper treat¬ 
ment, could be manufactured into fine furniture. A considerable 
amount of Brazilian wood of different varieties has recently been 
brought to the United States to be studied for its suitability for 
the manufacture of furniture. It will be tested for making veneers, 
for gluing, and for the time required properly to kiln-dry it. This 
information when obtained will be available to the manufacturers 
interested in the use of Brazilian cabinet woods. 

One of the troublesome problems in connection with establishing 
an industry in Brazil is the taxes the municipal, State, and Federal 
Governments are likely to levy. Usually these taxes are high. Just 
how much a firm should have to pay depends very largely upon the 
size of the business and upon what the assessors think the business 
is worth. It is practically impossible to know what the taxes would 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF BRAZIL. 


121 


be for a new firm. A certain manufacturer of school furniture in Sao 
Paulo pays municipal, State, and Federal taxes totaling approxi¬ 
mately $1,000, United States currency, on a small factory occupying 
an area of 1,200 square meters and having an output of 3,000 to 4,000 
school seats per year. A manufacturer expecting to establish his 
business in Brazil should not place his factory within the city limits 
of Sao Paulo. There are fine places outside of the city in near-by 
villages with good transportation facilities where, in some instances, 
factories are exempt from a city tax for a certain period of years. 
The matter of taxes on industries is a problem that must be given 
serious consideration by manufacturers who contemplate entering 
Brazil. 

There are many problems to be worked out and much information 
to be gathered before a furniture manufacturer should attempt to 
establish himself in Brazil. The writer is not able to include in this 
report all the information he has obtained in three years’ experience 
as superintendent of a furniture factory in Brazil plus several weeks 
of intensive study of the market from the standpoint of a furniture 
manufacturer. But he is confident that Brazil offers an excellent field 
for American manufacturers who wish to build up a business in house 
or office furniture in that country, using American methods and 
equipment and taking advantage of the many beautiful Brazilian 
furniture woods and of the services of the excellent cabinetmakers 
to be found there. 


VIII. SUMMARY. 


During 1913, the last year of normal trade, Brazil imported furni¬ 
ture to the value of $1,048,727. Considering the population of the 
country, which is estimated at 26,542,000, the imported furniture 
trade represents less than $0.04 per capita. The insignificance of 
Brazil’s furniture trade is emphasized when it is compared with that 
of Argentina, the best South American purchaser of imported fur¬ 
niture, whose per capita purchases of foreign-made furniture in 1913 
amounted to nine times those of Brazil. 

After 1913 the furniture imports of Brazil decreased until in 1917 
the total trade amounted to only $160,421, which represents a decline 
of 85 per cent in four years. Wliile some of this decrease is ac¬ 
counted for by the adverse conditions encountered in purchasing fur¬ 
niture abroad, it may be said to have been due chiefly to the increase 
in the customs duties and the stimulation given to the domestic indus¬ 
try by a high protective tariff. The exorbitant import duties now 
exclude a large amount of furniture-which would otherwise be in 
demand. 

The principal countries participating in Brazil’s furniture-import 
trade in 1913 were, in order of their importance as sources of supply: 
Austria-Hungary, United States, Germany 5 France, Great Britain, 
Portugal, Italy, and Uruguay. Austria easily took first place, inas¬ 
much as it furnished 45 per cent of the total wood furniture im¬ 
ported. The business with Austria was chiefly in the bent-wood 
product, this particular kind being very popular with all classes of 
people in Brazil. Domestic manufacturers now make bent-wood 
furniture which compares favorably in quality and price with the 
furniture imported from Austria, and it is only a question of time 
when Brazil will not need to depend upon foreign markets for this 
type of furniture. 

The trade with the United States has been more or less equally 
divided between furniture made of wood and that made of metal. 
The business in wood furniture has consisted principally of trade 
in cheap chairs, desks, files, ice boxes, etc., and that of metal has 
included chairs, tables, beds, washstands, steel filing equipment, and 
iron safes. Because of the increase in the tariff in recent years and 
the possibility of manufacturing most of this kind of furniture in 
Brazil, the trade in cheap wood and metal furniture will not increase 
to a great extent. 

Germany took third place in the list of countries supplying Brazil’s 
furniture imports in 1913. As a source of metal furniture Germany 
ranked first. The United States closely followed, with Great Britain 
taking third place. Germany also supplied a fair amount of wood 
furniture, which was chiefly of the bent-wood style. 

France was favored with fourth place as a source of supply of 
imported furniture for Brazil in 1913. The furniture brought from 
France was of high grade and was purchased by the wealthy people 
of the country. France will continue to obtain a large part of this 
122 


FURNITURE MARKETS OF BRAZIL. 


123 


business, although the domestic manufactures are beginning to pro¬ 
duce some high-grade furniture. Italy, also, was favored with some 
business in furniture of a fine quality. 

The prospects of increasing the Brazilian furniture imports over 
the values of 1913 are not very promising. The*country is rapidly 
developing a domestic furniture industry which has the advantage of 
an abundance of beautiful cabinet woods and a fair supply of good 
cabinetmakers. These advantages, together with the improvement 
in the manufacturing methods and the protection of a high tariff 
which causes the price of imported articles to be exorbitant, make it 
possible for the domestic manufacturers to produce goods that meet 
the approval of the market to a large extent, excepting in price. 
While the selling price of native-made furniture is high, it is usually 
a little .less than that of the imported article; hence the domestic- 
made product is largely purchased in lieu of that produced abroad. 

But, although the outlook for a larger business with Brazil in 
finished furniture is not promising, there is a good market for mate¬ 
rials to be used in the manufacture of the domestic furniture. Many 
of these materials must be imported and American producers should, 
in future, obtain a larger share of this business. It is also probable 
that, as the native furniture industry grows, Brazil will develop into 
a fair market for the sale of furniture-making equipment and ma¬ 
chinery. 

There seems to be a favorable outlook for the success of a modern 
American furniture factory in Brazil; but such an undertaking 
should be preceded by thorough investigation of all the factors and 
difficulties involved. 


Appendix.—CUSTOMS DUTIES AND EXTRA CHARGES. 

ARGENTINA. 

The valuation tariff system is in use in Argentina. Under this sys¬ 
tem the rates of duty proper are ad valorem. Articles are divided into 
a number of classes, for which a distinct rate of ad valorem duty is 
prescribed. The duty is then assessed according to a fixed schedule of 
value, drawn up by the Government. This ruling applies to all kinds 
of furniture entering the country. Where furniture can not be entered 
under the classification prepared by the Government it is dutiable at 
the rate of 40 per cent ad valorem. Metal furniture pays on the weight. 

All furniture, without exception, must be declared with a detailed 
statement of the quantity in units or dozen pieces, according to the 
proper class or value. 

The established valuations are applicable without distinction to 
furniture whether finished or not finished. Fine or extra fine furni¬ 
ture, the value of which exceeds the respective tariff valuations, due 
to fineness of material, quantity or quality of ornaments (whether 
carvings, bronzes, inlaid work, gilding, or painting such as lacquer 
work, varnish Martin, etc.), and furniture not specified, shall be duti¬ 
able according to its value. The declarations of value for furniture 
not specified, including used furniture or that for special uses, should 
be made by the owner over his signature in the declaration for clear¬ 
ance, provided the clearance is applied for by the owner in person. 

The declaration of value of furniture referred to in the preceding 
paragraph should not include articles the valuation of which is 
established in the tariff, such as carpets, rugs, curtains, portieres, etc., 
but in each case these should be declared separately, net weight being 
indicated. 

The Argentine tariff is quite elastic and many decisions are not 
included in the printed .schedule. An expert customhouse broker is 
therefore required to make clearances, and often he must obtain de¬ 
cisions from authorities before merchandise is dispatched. The ad 
valorem duties are to be increased in each case by surtaxes. The 
amounts of duty shown in the following table are based on the regular 
rates prescribed in the customs tariff, plus the surtax of 7 per cent. 


Tariff 

No. 

Articles. 

Amount of duty. 

In 

pesos. 

In 

dollars. 

488 

Sideboards in one or two parts, of painted or varnished wood. 


14.10 

13.60 

489 

Same, of mahogany, oak, or walnut. 


28.20 

27.21 

489 

Same, in three parts. 


58.75 

56.69 

491 

Stools, piano, of all kinds. 

.do.... 

1.41 

1.36 

495 

Bidets with wooden frame. 


2.35 

2.26 

501 

Bedsteads, common, of painted white wood, single. 


3.29 

3.17 

502 

Same, double. 


4.70 

4.53 

503 

Same, for children. 


1.41 

1.36 

504 

Bedsteads, of other, or veneered wood, single. 


18.80 

18.14 

505 

Same, double. 


28.20 

27.21 

506 

Same, for children. 


5.54 

5.34 

512 

Chests of drawers of ordinary quality. 


9.40 

9.07 

513 

Same, fine. 


18.80 

18.14 

514 

Same, with writing desk. 


14.10 

13.60 


124 



























APPENDIX 


125 


515 

516 

517 

518 

520 

521 

522 

523 

524 

525 

526 

527 

528 


535 

536 

537 

539 

540 

541 

542 

543 

546 

547 

548 

549 

550 

551 

552 

552 

553 

554 

564 

565 

566 

567 

568 

569 

570 


572 

573 

574 

576 

577 

584 

585 

589 

590 

591 

592 

593 

594 


Articles. 


Bedstead canopies of all kinds.each. 

Work or sewing tables, ordinary quality.do... 

Same, fine.do... 

Cradles, of painted wood, ordinary quality.do... 

Cradles, American, common..:.per dozen. 

Writing desk, ladies’, of painted white wood.each. 

Same, of other wood.do... 

Flat-top desks of ordinary quality.do... 

Same, fine.do... 

American roll-top desks, fine.do... 

Cabinets for china or glass ware.do... 

Revolving bookcases...do... 

Bookcases with doors.do... 

Bedroom suites (consisting of not more than 1 bedstead, 1 chest of drawers, 
1 washstand, 1 table, 4 towel rack, 4 chairs, 1 rocking chair, and 1 night table): 

Of oak or walnut, common.each. 

Same, of ordinary or fine quality.do... 

Of spruce or painted wood, common.do... 

Washstands, small, painted or varnished white wood, with or without marble 

top.each. 

Same, of other wood.do... 

Washstands, large, without mirror, of any wood, common quality.do... 

Same, with mirror.do... 

Same, fine.do... 

Tables: 

Dining, common...*.do... 

Same, ordinary.do... 

Same, fine.do... 

Serving or carving, ordinary.do... 

Same, fine.do... 

Center tables with 4 feet, ordinary.do... 

Same, fine.do... 

Same, with unitary base, with or without marble top, ordinary.do... 

Same, fine.do... 

Card tables.do... 

Wardrobes, 1 door, without mirror, common.do... 

Same, 1 or 2 doors, ordinary.do... 

Same, fine.do... 

Chairs: 

American, of painted or varnished wood, wooden seat.per dozen. 

Same, cane seat, with or without arms, except chairs of walnut.do... 

Same, walnut. do... 

Of any kind with cane or upholstered seat, of painted or varnished wood, 
including imitation bamboo or bent-wood chairs with seat of stamped, 

painted, or varnished wood.per dozen. 

Same, of mahogany, oak, walnut, or rosewood, fine.do... 

Same as No. 570, with cane seat and back.do... 

Same, fine.do... 

Same, of mahogany, oak, walnut, or rosewood, fine.do... 

Same, with leather seat and back.do... 

Highehairs for children.do... 

Other chairs for children, appraised according to kind, with reduction of 

30 percent. 

Armchairs, appraised according to kind, with addition of 30 per cent. 

Easy-chairs, revolving, upholstered with leather.each. 

Same, with cane seat.do... 

Sofas or lounges, of painted or varnished white wood, upholstered or with cane 

seat.each. 

Same, of mahogany, oak, walnut, or rosewood.do... 

Same, upholstered in leather.do... 


Amount of duty. 


In 

pesos. 


2.35 
1.88 
3.76 
1.41 
4.70 
3.76 
7.05 
9.40 
18.80 
18.80 
23.50 
5.54 
14.10 


23.50 
47.00 
14.10 

1.41 

2.35 

9.40 

14.10 

23.50 

4.70 
11.75 
23.50 
9.40 
18.80 
7.05 
14.10 
3.76 
7.52 
4.70 
7.05 
14.10 
23.50 

1.88 

2.80 

8.46 


4.70 
23.50 
7.05 
11.75 
28.20 
32.90 
9.40 


7.05 

2.35 

4.70 
9.40 
16.45 


In 

dollars. 


2.26 
1.81 
3.62 
1.36 
4.53 
3.62 
6.80 
9.07 
18.14 
18.14 
22.67 
5.34 
13.60 


22.67 

45.35 

13.60 

1.36 
2.26 
9.07 
13.60 
22.67 

4.53 
11.33 
22.67 
9.07 
18.14 
6.80 
13.60 
3.62 
7.25 
4.53 
6.80 
13.60 
22.67 

1.81 
2.70 
8.16 


4.53 

22.67 

6.80 

11.33 

27.21 

31.74 

9.07 


6.80 

2.26 

4.53 

9.07 

15.87 


URUGUAY. 

Tlie tariff system of Uruguay, like that of Argentina, is nominally 
ad valorem, although the rates of duty are in most instances based 
on fixed valuations instead of on the actual value of the indivdual 
shipment. The duty on furniture of almost every classification 
amounts to 48 per cent of this fixed valuation, iron safes, with a 
duty of 31 per cent, constituting the only exception in the schedule 
given below. The tariff is very elastic and many decisions and regu¬ 
lations governing the assessment of duties are not included in the 
printed schedules. 

In addition to the regular duties charged on furniture there are 
a number of surtaxes which amount to 14 per cent of the fixed valua- 






























































126 


APPENDIX 


tion. The amounts of duties given in the following table include 
these surtaxes: 


Articles. 


Amount of duty. 


In pesos. 


In dollars. 


Beds of mahogany, rosewood, oak, walnut, or their imitations, without carv 

ings, for one person.each. 

Same, with little carving.do... 

Same, with regular amount of carving.do... 

Same, plain, for two persons.do... 

Same, with little carving, for two persons.do... 

Same, with regular amount of carving, for two persons.do... 

Same, with much carving, for two persons. 

Small beds for children or cots of bent wood, painted.do... 

Same, of mahogany, rosewood, oak, or walnut, painted.do... 

Of bent wood for one person.do... 

Beds of brass: Depending upon size and quality.do % .. 

Beds of iron: Depending upon size and quality.do— 

Bedroom suites, consisting of one bed, one washstand, one wardrobe, one 
night table, one rocking chair, four straight-back chairs, one commode: 

Of pine, painted to imitate other kinds of wood.per suite.. 

Same, with one mirror in wardrobe or commode.do- 

Same, of fine woods.do- 

Same, of still finer woods, with three mirrors in wardrobe.do- 

Benches of mahogany, rosewood, oak, walnut.each.. 

Same, upholstered in ordinary materials.do- 

Same, in silk or wool.do- 

Those gilded pay a duty of 25 per cent more. 

Bidets of painted wood.do- 

Same, of walnut or rosewood.do_ 

Bookcases of mahogany, rosewood, oak, or walnut, with one or two doors, 

plain or carved.each.. 

Same, with regular carving.do- 

Same, with three or four doors, plain or carved.do- 

Same, with four or more doors, regular carving.do- 

Same, with much carving and large dimensions.do- 

Bookracks and corner shelves, depending on size and quality.do- 

Same, of especially large size or of extra fine quality.do- 

Buffets of mahogany, rosewood, oak, or walnut, with or without glass, plain 

or carved, with one or two doors.each.. 

Same, with regular carving.do- 

Same, with three or four doors, plain or with little carving.do- 

Same, with regular carving.do- 

Same, with five or more doors, much carving.do- 

Chairs, depending on quality and finish.dozen.. 

American office chairs, revolving.do- 

Chiffoniers of mahogany, rosewood, oak, walnut, or painted wood, with a 

small amoimt of carving.each.. 

Same, with regular amount of carving and decorated with bronze.do- 

Same, with a great amoimt of carving.do- 

Other of greater value.do- 

Commodes of mahogany, rosewood, oak, or walnut, with three of four drawers, 

plain or with a little carving.each.. 

Same, with regular amount of carving.do- 

Same, of elaborate design.do- 

Same, with much carving.do- 

Cradles, American, painted.dozen.. 

Same, made of reea or rattan.each.. 

Office desks of mahogany, rosewood, oak, or walnut, in form of table, with 
turned legs, three or five drawers, plain or with small amount of carving, 

sizes up to 100 centimeters in length.each.. 

Same, up to 125 centimeters in length.do- 

Same, up to 150 centimeters in length.do- 

Flat and roll top desks, plain or with small amount of carving, up to 125 cen¬ 
timeters in length, plain.each.. 

Same, up to 150 centimeters in length, plain.do- 

Same, up to 180 centimeters in length, plain.do- 

Desks with a regular amount of carving.do- 

Desks of greater size than those mentioned.do_ 

Lavatories of mahogany, rosewood, oak, or walnut, depending upon the size 

and amount of carved decoration.each.. 

Same, of special quality and size.do_ 

Iron safes.per kilo, gross weight.. 

Sofas, depending upon quality and finish.each.. 

Tables, fancy, depending upon quality and size.do_ 

Billiard tables, without accessories.do_ 

Sewing tables and cabinets of mahogany, rosewood, oak, or walnut, with one 

or two drawers and turned legs.each.. 

Same, with carved legs.do_ 

Same, with bronze decorations.do_ 

Taborets, depending upon quality and finish.dozen.. 


9.30 
11.16 
14.26 
15.50 
18.60 
27.90 
(a) 

3.72 
7.44 
6.20 
10.54-37. 20 
3.72-12.40 


31.00 
37.20 
49.60 
74.40 
.62 
1.24 
2.48 

1.24 

1.86 

12. 40 
15.50 
27.90 
40.30 
(°) 

1.86-9.92 


12.40 

24.80 

31.00 

37.20 

(«) 

4.34-27.90 
18.60-43. 40 


(“) 


9.30 
15. 50 

21.70 


(a) 


9.30 
12.40 
19.84 


11.16 
1.36 


6.20 
9.30 
12.40 

18.60 

23.56 

31.00 

(*>) 

(°) 

4.96- 27.90 

(a) 

.09 

4.96- 24.80 
1.24-27.90 

124.00 

2.48 

7.44 

12.40 

3.72-24.80 


9.62 
11.54 
14.74 
16.03 
19.23 
28.85 

(<*) 

3.85 
7.69 
6.41 
10.90-38.46 
3.85-12.82 


32.05 

38.46 

51.29 

76.93 

.04 

1.28 

2.56 

1.28 

1.92 

12.82 

16.03 

28.85 

41.67 

(<*) 

1.92-10.26 


12.82 

25.60 

32.05 

38.46 

(«) 

4. 49-28.85 
19.20-44.90 


(°) 


9.62 
16.03 
22.45 


(<*) 


9.62 

12.80 

20.51 

) 

11.54 

1.41 


6.40 

9.62 

12.80 

19.20 

24.36 

32.05 

( 6 ) 

( a ) 

.13-28.85 

(o) 

.093 
.13-25.64 
.28-28.85 
128.00 


2.56 
7.69 
12.80 
3.85-25.60 


“Duty according to appraisement at the rate of 48 per cent plus 14 per cent surtaxes. 

6 The duty on desks with “ regular amount of carving ” is 20 per cent higher than that of the classification 
under which they would otherwise come. 









































































APPENDIX. , 127 

Tlie following modifications of the above-mentioned duties should 

be noted: 

Extra duty is charged for marble tops to be used on any kind of furniture. 
The amount to be paid per piece depends upon its size. The valuation ranges 
from 2 to 8 pesos ($2.07 to $8.27), with assessment at 48 per cent, plus sur¬ 
taxes. 

The duty on chairs is increased by 60 to 100 pesos per dozen, depending upon ’ 
the quality and material with which they are upholstered. Chairs and sofas 
covered with woolen materials are charged 60 pesos ($62.04) a dozen in addi¬ 
tion to the regular duty. Those covered with silk and wool or leather are 

charged 90 pesos ($93.06) additional, and those covered with pure silk have 

an extra charge of 100 pesos ($103.42) per dozen. Armchairs are assessed a 
50 per cent higher duty than those without arms. 

Furniture shipped knocked down in the white is assessed a duty 20 per cent 
lower than that on furniture set up and finished. 

To the duty must be added other extra charges, such as expense for hauling, 
storing, and carting. These charges differ considerably for different classes of 
goods. However, for typical imports they may be summarized as follows 
(peso=$1.0342 at normal exchange) : 

Pesos. 


Lighterage, per 40 cubic feet_1. 50 

Storage, 1 month per 100 kilos_ . 08 

Custom hauling, per 100 kilos_ . 04 

Transfer from dock to warehouse, per package_ . 10 

Transfer from warehouse to appraiser’s room, per package_ . 10 

Opening case for examination and nailing_ . 08 

Removal from appraiser’s room_ . 10 

Carting from customhouse, per package, approximately_ . 35 


PARAGUAY. 

All duties on furniture are 62 per cent ad valorem on a fixed valua¬ 
tion, with the following exceptions: 

Billiard balls, tape, cues, and sealing wax, 42 per cent ad valorem. 

Small fiber mats, 22 per cent ad valorem. 

BRAZIL. 

The duties charged on imports into Brazil are collectible 55 per 
cent in gold, and 45 per cent in paper milreis at the current rate of 
exchange. In the table of tariffs below, for the convenience of the 
reader the actual duty in United States currency equivalents is 
given, Brazilian paper being converted at the rate of $0.25 to the 
milreis, which is somewhat below the present rate of exchange. It 
should be noted, that, while these duties are those given in the tariff 
classifications, the actual application of them is very complicated, 
and the minutest irregularities in invoicing, classifying, or evaluat¬ 
ing the goods subjects them to heavy fines. 


Tariff 

No. 

Articles. 

Actual 
duty 
(U. S. cur¬ 
rency). 

Tare allowance. 


Class I— Wood Furniture. 



333 

Cupboards and etageres: 

Of common wood, up to 1.5 meters in length.each.. 

Same as above, more than 1.5 meters in length.do_ 

Of fine wood, up to 1.5 meters in length.do_ 

Same, more than 1.5 meters in length.do_ 

Slabs of marble or other material, and mirrors affixed to 
cupboards and etageres shall be dutiable separately. 

$11.41 
18.97 
25.65 
42.75 






















128 


APPENDIX, 


Tariff 

No. 


Articles. 


Actual 
duty 
(U. S. cur¬ 
rency). 


Tare allowance. 


338 


343 

344 

345 
353 


354 


358 


368 


370 


372 


Class I—Wood Furniture—C ontinued. 

Benches, stools, and chairs without hacks: 

Small footstools of all kinds.each. 

Reversible or folding, with seats of all kinds.do— 

With seats of straw or cane, for piano, harp, or similar use, of 

common wood.each., 

Same as above, of fine wood.do— 

Of branches (rustic).do— 

Cradles, of common wood.do— 

Same, of fine w T ood.do_ 

Cradles with cane sides or heads are subject to a surtax 
of 50 per cent. 

Bidets, of common wood.each.. 

Same, of fine wood.do_ 

Billiard tables, of common wood.do_ 

Same, of fine wood.do— 

Chairs: 

Of common wood, with seats of bent wood, with arms, .do_ 

Same, without arms.do— 

Of common wood, with seats of cut wood, with arms.. .do— 

Same, without arms.do— 

Of common wood, with seats of straw or cane, with arms .do— 

Same as above, without arms.do- 

Rocking, folding, or extending, of common wood, with arms, 

each... 

Same as above, without arms.each.. 

Of common wood, for children.do- 

Of fine wood, with seats of straw or cane, with arms-do- 

Same as above, without arms.do- 

Rocking, folding, or extending, of fine wood, with arms..do- 

Same as above, without arms.do- 

Of fine wood, for children.do- 

Rustic garden chairs, folding, of pine or similar wood-do- 

Same as above, made of branches.do- 

Chairs not specially mentioned pay ad valorem duty. 
Chairs with cane backs are subject to a surtax of 30 
per cent, and bent-wood chairs with turned legs or 
backs or with moldings, pay a surtax of 20 per cent. 

Beds: 

Of common wood, single.each. 

Same, double.do... 

Same, for children.do... 

Of fine wood, single.do... 

Same, double...do... 

Same, for children.do... 

Beds with cane bottoms, sides, or heads are subject to 
surtax of 30 per cent. 

Chests of drawers: 

Of common wood, with 3 drawers or less.each.. 

Same as above, with more than 3 drawers.do- 

Of common wood, with escritoires.do- 

Of fine wood, with 3 drawers or less.do_ 

Same, with more than 3 drawers.do_ 

Of fine wood, with escritoires.do— 

Slabs of marble or of any other material, and mirrors, form¬ 
ing part of chests of drawers and imported therewith 
pay duty separately, according to quality. 

Wardrobes and sideboards, of common wood.each.. 

Same, of fine wood.'... .do_ 

Wardrobes with more than one compartment pay a sur¬ 
tax of 50 per cent for each additional compartment; mir¬ 
rors, if any, are dutiable separately. 

Washstands: 

Of common wood, round.each.. 

Of common wood, table, with or without drawers, up to 80 

centimeters in length.each 

Same, more than 80 centimeters in length.do.. 

Of common wood, with chests of drawers, cupboards, or com 

partments.each 

Of fine wood, round.do.. 

Of fine wood, table, with or without drawers, up to 80 centi 

meters in length.each 

Same, more than 80 centmeters in length.do.. 

Of fine wood, with chests of drawers, cupboards, or compart 

ments.each 

Tables: 

Center tables, of common wood.do.. 

Same, of fine wood.do.. 


$0.52 
0.69 

3.02 
6.84 
0.86 
4.27 
20.52 


4.31 

8.55 
86.22 

213.75 

3.02 

1.54 

1.03 

0.51 

2.99 

1.50 

3.85 

2.56 

1.54 

8.55 
4.28 

10.69 

5.98 

2.99 
0.43 
0.86 


13.79 
24.14 
6.90 
34.20 
55.58 
17.10 


7.76 

12.94 

19.83 

20.52 

34.20 

51.30 


30.18 

59.85 


3.02 

3.85 

8.62 

15.52 
6.41 

11.97 

21.38 

35.91 

7.93 

34.20 

























































APPENDIX 


129 


Tariff 

No. 


372 


384 


385 


Articles. 


398 

400 


404 

405 
407 


679 


727 


723 


747 

726 


Class I—Wood Furniture—C ontinued. 

Tables—Continued. 

Tea, work, writing, or card tables, of common wood.each. 

Same, of fine wood.do... 

Bed or night tables, with leg in center, of common wood .do... 

Same, of fine wood.do... 

Bed or night tables of any other form, of common wood... do... 

Same, of fine wood.do... 

Dining, up to 6 meters in length, of common wood.do... 

Same, of fine wood.do... 

Dining, more than6meters inlength, of common wood. .do... 

Same, of fine wood.do... 

Of branches with bark (rustic), etc.do... 

Desks: 

Small, writing, for ladies, plain or with shelves, of common 

wood.each.. 

Same, of fine wood.do_ 

Large, writing, for men, plain or with shelves, of common 

wood.each.-. 

Same, of fine wood.do_ 

Flat-top office desks, of fine wood.do_ 

Same, of common wood..do_ 

Sofas: 

Small, with or without back, lounges, etc., of common wood, 

.each.. 

Same, of fine wood...do_ 

Large, with or without back (divans), of common wood .do_ 

Same, of fine wood.do_ 

Large sofas without back (divans) pay surtaxes if covered 
with other than canvas or similar common material. 
Sofa-beds, or bed-sofas, of common wood.each.. 

Class II.—Furniture of Cane, Bamboo, Etc. 

Cradles.each.. 

Chairs: 

Without arms.do... 

With arms.do... 

For children.do... 

Rocking, and those not specially mentioned.do... 

Washstands.do... 

Tables.do... 

Sofas.do... 

Class III.—Metal Furniture. 

Brass beds: 

Plain_single.each. 

Do. .double.do... 

Do.. children’s.do... 

With artistic work, single.do... 

Do.double.do... 

Do.children’s.do... 

Iron beds: 

Plain or common, single.do... 

Do.double.do... 

Do.children’s.do... 

Worked or ornamental, single.do... 

Do.double.do... 

Do.for children.do... 

Chests or safes: 

Up to 50 centimeters in largest dimension.do... 

More than 50 and up to 75 centimeters.do... 

More than 75 and up to 100 centimeters.do... 

More than 100 and up to 125 centimeters.do... 

More man 125 and up to 150 centimeters.do... 

More than 150 and up to 175 centimeters.do... 

More than 175 centimeters in largest dimension.do... 

Chests with more than one exterior door are liable to a 
surtax of 30 per cent. 

Tables: 

Plain.each. 

Ornamented.do— 

Chairs and stools: 

Plain or common.do... 

Worked or with ornaments.do... 

Rocking and other chairs, not specially mentioned.do... 


Actual 
duty 
(U. S. cur¬ 
rency). 


$6.90 
13.68 
1.90 
3.08 
3.88 
10.26 
22.42 
35.91 
36.21 
58.14 
3.10 


18.97 
25.65 

25.87 
59.85 
i 85.50 
i 36.21 


12.07 
23.94 
17.24 
38.47 


12.07 


3.10 

2.15 
4.31 
1.55 
6.21 
2.07 
5.17 
10.34 


10.34 
17.24 
7.33 
28.02 
47. 42 
19.40 

3.45 
6. 46 
2.15 
6.90 
12.94 
4.31 

27.59 
55.18 
110.36 
165.54 
224.17 
275. 90 
344. S8 


1.72 
3.45 

1.72 

2.59 

8.62 


Tare allowance. 


i American office desks enjoy a preferential rate equal to 80 per cent of the one given above. 


120314°—19-9 








































































130 


APPENDIX. 


Tariff 

Xo. 


Articles. 


Class IV.— Mateehi. Used n the Mavttactcee or 

F 1'IMJ l EE. 


395 

Indian cane and bamboo. 

Cane of anv other kind... 


396 

Rushes and rattan, raw.. 

_dn_ 

397 

Rushes and rattan, split, in straw, or prepare i in anv other man¬ 
ner, per kilo. 

Osiers. unnrenared or in bandies_ -w kiln . 

55 

Glae or gelatine... 


695 

Brass tubing of all kinds.... 


756 

Enameled iron pipe. 


70S 

Iron hars and rods.... 


153 

Finishing materials: 

Alcohol. amviic. methvjic. or wood... 


175 

Varnishes of tar. 

Varnishes, other. 


162 

Turpentine, comm cm oil of. pare. 



160 


152 


Do..impure. 

Linseed oil. not purified or colored. 

Do.purified or cokrless_ 

Do_boiled___ 

Lac colors of all kin is. 


.do_ 

.do_ 

.do_ 

.do_ 

.do_ 


24 

501 

474 

752 

699 


Upholstering materials: 

Leathers, varnished, grained (Russia».do. 


All other smooth or grained leather, varnished.do_ 

Plash of pare silk...do 

Plash of silk mixed with cotton...do. 


Cotton velours, white, dyed or printed, plain or twilled, .do_ 

Drawer palls, knobs, etc.: 

Of iron or steel, plain or with battens of brass, class, crystal 
etc., per kilo. 


Of brass, plain or ornamented.....per kilo.. 




Actual 

dtttv Tare allowance. 
U.S.cor- 
rency. 




SOL. 17 

Xet. 

aw 

Do. 

air 

Do. 

6-90 

Do- 

0.08 

Do. 

0.31 

Barrels or cases. 19 
percent. 

0.23 

Xet. 

0.09 

Do. 

0.05 

Do. 

0.43 

12-99 per cent. 

0.22 

Gross. 

0.43 

Do. 

aoe 

5-00 per cent de¬ 
pending on na¬ 
ture of re-ten¬ 
tacle. 

0.94 

Do- 

a 09 

Do. 

0.25 

Do- 

0.13 

Do. 

ass 

5-60 per cent, de- 


periling on na¬ 
ture of recep¬ 
tacle. 


2.54 

Cases. 10 per cent; 
hales, gross. 

1.34 

Do. 

21.37 

Xet. 

ia® 

Do. 

2.14 

Do. 

0.55 

H trshesds or cases. 
15 percent: card¬ 
board boxes. 

0.56 

H-csheais or cases. 


10 ner cent: eard- 
board boxes, 
gross. 


EXHIBITS AND LISTS OF DEALERS. 

In connection with the foregoing reports Trade Commissioner Everley sub¬ 
mitted catalogues of the principal Buenos Aires furniture firms showing styles 
and prices of metal as well as wood furniture for home, office, and hospital 
uses; also a number of furniture advertisements taken from Argentine news¬ 
papers and magazines and a booklet published by a prominent English firm 
of Buenos Aires for distribution to its clients, setting forth the evolution of 
English period furniture. Additional photographs of hospital furniture made 
in Argentina were also submitted by Mr. Everley. All of these exhibits are 
available for inspection at the office of the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic 
Commerce and will be loaned to interested persons. Refer to file No. 40297. 
Catalogues issued by furniture dealers in Brazil and other publications relating 
to the furniture trade are also available. Refer to file No. 40710. 

Lists of furniture dealers and importers in the principal cities of Argentina 
(file 402971, and a similar list for Montevideo, Uruguay (file 402981. may be 
obtained on application to the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce or 
its district and cooperative offices. A list of manufacturers, dealers, and im¬ 
porters of furniture in Brazil mav also be obtained by referring to file No. 
40710. 


o 















































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